Obu Kindachi Ken Kamigami
by Thaeonblade
Summary: It is true that life is never fair, people live who deserve to die, people die who deserve life, and people who don't deserve it suffer in excess. Perhaps this is true, but that doesn't mean we should forsake our will to overcome or the friendships that are born. Starts when Naruto is 6; AU; OC Adoption and Character; eventual Naru/Hina; eventual strong/competent naruto
1. Prologue

**Copyright: Take what you will from this, but I own nothing...sadly...**

* * *

_Long ago at the dawn of the Shinobi Era..._

_There was constant war between men and shinobi, warriors and soldiers..._

_Death reigned supreme in this age of chaos..._

An armored warrior fell to the battered soil, blood flowed from the slit in his neck. The victor, a man with black flowing hair and wearing armor as scarlet as his eyes, ran over his kill and created a series of handsigns amidst a expansive battle upon this field of fire. When he finished, the shinobi blew out a great dragon of fire that consumed a line of his enemy's. From the smoke, several serpentine dragons emerged and wrapped themselves around the dragon of fire and cancelled out both of their existences.

_Amidst this chaos, two pacts warred against one another in bitter hatred..._

_One of these pacts of brotherhood were led by the Clan of a Thousand Hands, the Senju..._

_Against them fought their bitter rivals led by the Clan of the Fire Fan, the Uchiha..._

The Uchiha folded his arms over his chest, unsurprised at the arrival of the two brothers standing before him. The Senju heir wore armor reminescent of the Uchiha's while his brother's armor was indigo blue. Though easily told apart by their appearances and their abilities, facing one alone was a challenge for any shinobi. But facing both of them together would be more difficult than it was worth.

_Equal in skill, unmatched by all others, their conflict forged many legends of blood and hell..._

_For wherever the Uchiha went, the Senju would be summoned to defend against them..._

_Wherever the Senju were summoned, the Uchiha came to counter them..._

Fire, Earth and Water roared in all directions of the field. Though they came from different entry points, the field was crowded and mingled with equal numbers of Senju and Uchiha warriors using any means necessary to kill and survive. Every second, a body fell pierced by one or many knives and arrows. Every minute, found a medic desperately healing one comrade only for five more to appear with their lives on the taxed medic's shoulders. In the middle of this clash, Two Spectral Beings fought a deadly duel with each other, one born of hatred and blood and the other born of Wisdom and Dedication. Nearby, The Uchiha Leader clashed with the Senju Heir in a duel of illusion, strength, ability and fortune.

_Every confrontation ended in bloodshed and death...with hatred fanned into the next battle..._

_For the Uchiha, while proud, did not hesitate to call upon the aid of clans whom they had defeated..._

_Of these servant clans, three were acknowledged as worthy to be equals to the Uchiha..._

Within the mountains of snow, the war of the two clans fought once more with death victorious regardless of which clan had more claim to it. Chaos was added to the boiling cauldron as reinforcements arrived to the battle. The Senju Brothers watched with concern as the unburdened allies of their sworn enemy closed the distance between themselves and their outside forces. Many fell to heavy blades, berserk bloodlust or a swift and gentle palm before the tide of the battle turned against them.

_Cold warriors of steel and determination who were sworn to silence, the Shinkan..._

_Ronin who craved and were empowered by the blood lust and death of war, the Ryuchi..._

_Wielders of the all-seeing eye were the lords of the rising sun, the Hyuga..._

Princess of the Hyuga, the woman easily swept aside an armored summoner and dealt a swift palm to the back of his head. Killed in that instant, the shinobi's summons faded from existence as she spied the younger of the two Senju brothers and leapt for him. He dodged her fatal palm and sank his blade into her arm, causing lightning to flow through her body. She pulled her arm to break contact between it and the sword and made a quick hand sign before her head was decapitated. The body fell away into white doves that flew towards the Senju's feet and caused the ground under him to turn into mud. Trapped in the mud, the Senju remained calm as a heavily armored silent warrior leapt down with a great halberd. In an instant, the Senju was above the warrior before he struck the mud where he was originally trapped.

_Their clashes were legendary and the scars from those conflicts were scared into the landscape..._

_The Senju were aided many times by the clans of their pact, fellow clans whose loyalty was unshakable..._

_Of these clans, three were regarded alongside the Senju for their skill, ability and bravery..._

His oakenshield broken, the Senju Heir dealt a heavy punch into the jaw of his opponent. Though the warrior bled, the Ryuchi smiled as if mad and continued his assault as though he was not mortally wounded. The Senju Heir didn't move when a spiral seal appeared under the Ryuchi and spread throughout his legs. The warrior felt fear as his legs stiffened and the Senju Heir slashed his sword through the warrior's neck. Relieved but not proud, the Senju Heir smiled at the red-hair woman that stood behind him. Two warriors appeared and knelt before him in respect as the allies of the Senju arrived.

_Their distant cousins, the spirited guardians of the Spiral Pools, the Uzamaki..._

_Their insightful brothers in arms, the black sheep of the shinobi, the Kuromuton..._

_And their small numbered, yet wise masters of the monkey jump, the Sarutobi..._

An armored warrior had his helm broken open when a roaring ape punched it and transformed into a claymore. A young warrior gripped the claymore and wildly swung, throwing back the Shinkan warrior and slaying his escorts. At that moment, a woman appeared in front of the boy and vanished a second later. When she appeared before the unaffected Uchiha Leader, thirty of his warriors fell dead before they even hit the ground. The woman charged at the Uchiha but was encompassed by a ball of water at the same time that a serpent of fire attempted to encoil her. The Younger Senju Brother held her in his arms before she rolled her eyes and stepped onto the ground as the Uchiha Leader smirked.

_The two pacts waged a silent war against one another that claimed many lives and many generations..._

_Soon the pacts even forgot why they ever began fighting and accepted it as a way of life..._

_Until the birth of Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara..._

Another battle concluded, now was the time to collect and mourn their dead. The Uchiha Leader sat satisfied with the results of today's battle, but he felt the animosity that his younger clan members looked at him with. Many of whom had likely lost a friend, a brother, a sibling, a parent, a lover or even a child unborn. His eyes tattooed with Eternal Might, the Uchiha Leader felt contempt for the faltering resolve of his people. Whether victory or defeat, they looked as though they had been defeated.

_By the time they succeeded their fathers, Senju Kameyama and Uchiha Senka, constant warfare had worn upon the pacts..._

_Indeed...this constant state of war between the many clans cost them greatly with little to compensate..._

_Entire generations were lost for a conflict that was fought only because it was a custom..._

The Senju Heir held a crying mother whose daughter had been found dead and worst. He looked to his brother, who remained solemn in spite of the emotion that the elder saw in the younger's eyes. Many had died upon this day and no one honestly knew why. Even their own father had failed to speak of why this constant war had to be waged. Behind him, the Senju Heir watched as a child laid a broken katana upon the chest of his father while his mother loudly mourned. Was this all that his own children would have to look forward to?

_Hashirama saw the state of his clan and how wearied they were of war...and he too was weary..._

_Though Madara was already hardened to pain and weariness...his clan grumbled to him and in time...he too saw their weariness..._

_In secret and accompanied by only a handful of companions, Madara and Hashirama met to discuss the end of their feud..._

Against his own advice, the Uchiha Leader had agreed to this meeting. Now they stood alone, though the Uchiha expected the Senju Heir to have his brother and other two students nearby...just as the Uchiha had a squad of his best men hidden as well. The Senju stepped towards him and the Uchiha mirrored the movement. They had afterall, fought many times in the field of war. Though those clashes, the two men had come to know each other as well as family members...a twisted irony that always made the Uchiha Leader smirk.

_Rivals Eternal, both held no naivety towards the other as their discussion concerning their strife began..._

_But both were ready for it to end...for they themselves had no knowledge of how or why their conflict was sparked..._

_Madara came willing to accept a truce on behalf of his war-weary clan, but Hashirama had more in mind..._

The Senju Heir watched the Uchiha's eyes while they spoke. The Uchiha's face betrayed nothing, but the Heir could tell that his proposal was not immediately dismissed. For his own reasons, the Uchiha Leader had come to the same conclusion that he had. This constant feud between would serve no purpose for anyone involved. It would in fact, make them weaker...

_Guided by what he termed as the Will of Fire, Hashirama believed that the clans should unite as one power and strengthen one another..._

_With this strength, they would teach and guide the next generation, spreading the enlarging flame with each passing generation..._

_Though he did not share Hashirama's vision, Madara decided to accept the Senju's proposal and shook hands as comrades for the first time..._

Though uneasy about the news, the clan leaders trusted the Senju Heir about the new truce and it's terms. Though verbally opposed to the idea, the Uchiha Leader left no room for those who opposed his decision and gave them a chance to depart and remain as their own clan. The Eternal Foes met once more within a barren field of fallen leaves facing each other on opposite sides as they always had. The Clan Leaders converged first and slowly afterwards, their clans followed as their masses became intermingled once more. Not for the manner of war and bloodshed, but to build and create something that had never been seen before...

_The two Pacts ceased their warfare, using the talents which they honed through war to build a new home for themselves and generations to come..._

_Within a newly grown forest of leaves, the newly allied clans labored until their home was finished..._

_Konohagukure was established..._

* * *

"What happened next! What happened next?"

"What do you think kid? That's how Konoha was established." The eleven year youth said to the excited blond six year old, "I'll you the rest of it when I get back, got it?"

"Okay..." Though excited, the boy did see that his guardian was about to leave soon, "So what happened to the clans? You know, those clans that were following Senju and Uchiha?"

"Long story short...it's complicated." The youth chuckled to himself as to how complicated it was, confusing the younger boy, "Some of them joined the new shinobi village and others struck out on their own. Some lasted longer than others, but if anyone is out there with those clans then you won't see many of them."

"Why, Satoshi?" The blond asked, "I thought those clans were some of the best! Can you imagine Sasuke's dad praising someone who isn't an Uchiha?"

"Or Lord Hyuga..." Satoshi added, his features mellowing from what he knew about the clan which gave Naruto his surname, "But...times changed Naruto. After Konoha was founded, other clans came up with the same idea and made their own ninja villages. After that, clans that were alone or had few allies were hunted down or simply faded out of the shinobi picture. Probably forswore the shinobi arts all together and became civilians."

"Hmmm..." Naruto thoughtfully pondered, "Didn't you say Uzamaki was a clan?"

"I did...didn't I?" Naruto's face brightened with that fiery excitement again, "Yeah...you're a member of one of Konoha's founding clans, go ahead and get out the gloating so you can go to sleep."

"Sorry..." Naruto bashfully rubbed the back of his head while still smiling, "That means that I've got as much talent as any Uchiha right?"

"Probably." Satoshi shrugged his shoulders, earning a scowl from Naruto, "But talent doesn't mean squat if you don't work to develop it, right?"

"Yeah..." Naruto answered while lying on his simple bed. Satoshi knew why Naruto didn't want to go to sleep, while it was true that every child fears their first day at the academy...that fear ran deeper for Naruto, "But what if I don't make any friends? What if nobody likes me?"

"Sasuke likes you."

"That's because his brother is friends with you." While not completely true, Satoshi saw Naruto's point, "But...it's better than nothing."

"What about that cute Hyuga girl? She likes you."

"No she doesn't...she runs away from me...like she's afraid to talk to me..." Before Satoshi was about to laugh and explain the truth of that little situation, he heard Naruto sniff under his covers...the poor boy was holding back tears, "Guess that's better than being thrown out of a store or...beaten because you had the curse of having that bastard fox sealed inside you..."

"It's rough for us orphans Naruto." Satoshi placed a hand on the shaking Naruto, "And...it's tougher for you and in ways that aren't fair. But before start counting what's wrong with your life and what you don't have...always remember...count what you do have."

"Stop being all mushy!" Naruto shouted while jumping out of the covers and was met with a dreaded counterattack, "Cut it out! Cut it out!"

"Shinri Style Tickle assault!" Satoshi poked and softly raked his fingers across Naruto's stomach and sides, causing the boy to laugh loud enough for half of the village to hear him. After twenty seconds, he ceased while Naruto gave out a final laughing gasp as the true affects of Satoshi's tickling kicked in, "Good...now you'll get tired and go to sleep already. And I better not hear about you being late or causing "lasting" damage to anything or anyone? Cause it all gets chipped from my stipend!"

"Alright Satoshi..." The drowsy Naruto replied as he succumbed to slumber, "Good night..."

"Night Shatei." Satoshi pulled the curtains up to Naruto's neck and watched him for a moment before turning off the light to the boy's room. Their single-floor apartment only had two rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom, but it was home enough for Naruto.

At least better than what he had a year ago...

* * *

Upon Konoha's south-eastern wall, a single individual crouched casually with his gaze overlooking the seemingly endless forest that lied just outside of Konoha.

He wore a white mask with a single black feather upon it, one that had only two slits to give off the illusion of obscured sight. That couldn't be further from the truth for Itachi Uchiha.

"You're on time." The Uchiha Chunin responded to the individual that appeared next to him, "Telling Naruto more stories, Satoshi?"

"I hate it when you spy on me." The Anbu with a mask depicting a manned Lion replied, "Who told your brother that Uchiha founded Konoha by themselves?"

"My father of course." Itachi replied with unmasked annoyance, "I already corrected him on the matter, he won't offend your's or Naruto's clans again."

"Offend? The kid was acting on misinformation." Itachi's comrade replied with humor, "He's a kid Itachi, he still has that luxury."

"Did you when you were his age?"

"Did my father murder his mother?" Itachi dryly chuckled, even as friends and comrades, the stigma of their clans always loomed over them, "That was cold of me, what's the mission?"

"Shunshin has ordered Shishi and Karasu to rendzevous with Urufu in Ta no Kuni." Itachi relied his comrade noticed and picked up a scroll and quickly scanned it's contents before it combusted after the Anbu read the final page, "We're to investigate news regarding the movement of a Snake."

"Snake?" Itachi heard something in his comrade's voice, hope...desire...thirst for blood...he did not know for certain, "Is our trail marked?"

"Yes." Itachi specifically requested for the trail to be marked especially by Shunshin. The Snake had caught on to Uchiha Anbu and in fact was anticipating a chance to capture the Sharingan. "Lead the way."

"As you wish." Itachi watched as the Anbu held up two fingers together in front of his mask and gently pressed them against the Konoha wall. After several seconds, the Anbu wiped the fingers on the wall and returned his hand to his side, "Follow, quiet as the falling leaves."

And as quietly as they came, the two Anbu Agents disappeared into the night...

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**Author's Notes:**

**Here it is, Obu Kindachi Ken Kamigami: Of Kings and Gods**

**Originally I'd posted this story back in 2009 and then pulled it after four chapters. It took place right after Orochimaru died and Naruto and Sasuke were both setting out to find and take down Itachi. I was going to have this third organization that was allied with Akatski and had all of these amazing powers and then Itachi would join up with the good guys who now included Sasuke after he was captured by Shikamaru's group led by a new jonin sensei.**

**I kind of lost interest...**

**Actually, if I'd lost complete interest then I wouldn't have reworked the story into what you're reading now. True is, I just couldn't work with the timeline limitations. By that point in Naruto canon, too much has happened to really change the flow of the plot. Sasuke's already left, the time skip happened, Akatsuki revealed itself...yada, yada...so on and so forth. Plus, it seems like most Naruto stories that want to change something about the Naruto setting do so before the time skip.**

**And more often than not, this works out for the best.**

**Simply because everything in Part 1 sets up for what happens to the characters in Shippuden. Sakura being useless? Started in Part 1; Sasuke's revenge issues? Part 1; Nobody giving Naruto the time of day or acknowledging him feasibly with a promotion or not treating him like shit? Part! Part 2 had some pivotal stuff as well, but character-wise, Part 1 was the foundation.**

**And when you look at Naruto canon, it's a very shaky one.**

**I'll elaborate as I go on, but just read the story...hopefully you'll like it. Yes, this will have a few OC's due to some changes that I'm making to the story line, but they're mainly there to help flesh out and help develop the canon characters.**

**For the record, I'll also make some changes to the Naruto timeline. Nothing drastic, but if you compare data with some character's ages, a lot of things don't make too much sense. I'll explain as I go along.**

* * *

**Terminology: I won't pretend to be an expert in the Japanese Language so feel free to point out any mistakes if I make them.**

**Kuromuton - Black Sheep**

**Shikan - Silence/Silent**

**Ryuchi - Blood Dragon/Dragon Blood**

**Urufu - Wolf**

**Karosin - Crow**

**Shishi - Lion**

**Ta no Kani - Land of Rice**

**Konohagakure - Do I need to tell you this one?**


	2. Quiz Report

**Copyright: Take what you will from this, but I own nothing...sadly...**

* * *

**Satoshi's Apartment**

"Naruto!" Sasuke shouted after his friend didn't answer the door, "Naruto! Hurry up! You're already late, dobe!"

"What are ya doing here teme?" Naruto asked from the closed window of his room, "I'm playing hooky, piss off."

"Come on Naruto..." Sasuke hated it when Naruto was this stubborn, "I'll help you with your shuriken jutsu..."

"You suck at that too!" Naruto shouted, causing Sasuke to pout. When Naruto peeked out his window, he saw Sasuke standing there with his head looking down at the floor, "Alright...lets go!"

"Atta boy Naruto!" Sasuke happily cheered when Naruto jumped down, "Now come on!"

"Alright just stop being loud!"

"I'm loud..." Sasuke muttered under his breath as the two of them passed through Konoha's streets, "Naruto should really listen to himself sometimes."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing dobe..."

"I heard that!"

* * *

**Konoha Academy**

"Naruto...Sasuke..." Umino Iruka said when he spotted the boys in question enter his classroom, "So you're going to be early from now on?"

"Early!" Naruto shouted at Sasuke, to the chagrin of several girls in the classroom, "You said I was running late!"

"Well...we would've been late if you hadn't come..." Sasuke muttered, "So I wasn't lying...from another way of looking..."

"Don't let him talk down to you like that Sasuke-kun!"

"Guess so..." Naruto agreed and turned towards the several girls who glared at him, "What are all of you looking at!"

"Just ignore em Naruto..." Sasuke told his friend, slightly blushing from embarrassment concerning the unwanted attention that most of the girls gave him, "I'm fine everyone..."

"Okay Sasuke-kun!" They all shouted like an excited crowd who'd been blessed by Kami himself. Between Naruto and his "fan club", Sasuke just grumbled and took his seat next Shino.

"Hel...hello...Naruto...kun..."

"Hey Hinata, what's up?" Naruto asked as he walked past the pale-eyed girl. When she turned away and poked her fingers together, Naruto looked away discouraged, "Nevermind..."

"Well looks like everyone's here, so we'll start early for once." Iruka said to himself, "If Naruto would like to sit down."

"Oh...sure!" Naruto shouted and quickly sat next to her. Causing her to gasp and look at him with widened eyes, "No one was sitting here right?"

"No...no...no one's...sitting...there..." The girl stuttered and handed something to the boy, "Would you...like...a...Tamagoyaki (rolled omelet)?"

"Eh...okay..." Naruto said and accepted the strange food. He smelt it briefly to make sure that it wasn't poisoned and nibbled on it. Assured that it was safe and delicious, he quickly gobbled it down, "This is good...thanks Hinata."

"Oh...it's...nothing..." Hinata stuttered while warmth made her face more pink, "Mother...cooked it...but I wasn't...too...hungry..."

"Sheesh Hinata, he liked it." Sasuke chuckled from the other side of Shino, "Nice thinking."

"Sasuke!" Iruka shouted, bringing the class' attention to the Uchiha, "When was the Konoha Military Police Force formed and for what purpose?"

"The Police Force..." Sasuke thought for a moment and remembered what his brother had told him, "Eh...it was created by the Nidaime and organized by Uchiha Miroku to enforce the law of the village. Lets see...at the time, Konoha was still developing with constant infighting between newly joined clans and already present ones..."

"Very true Sasuke, good job." Iruka complemented, "Sakura! Why would we need an enforcement agency for shinobi?"

"To ensure that they don't go against the wishes of the village or the shinobi code." The pink-haired girl answered and gave a quick smile to Sasuke, "Like Sasuke-kun pointed out, before the police force was made there was a lot of underground fighting between different clans. To enforce cooperation and ensure that the village did not destroy itself, the Nidaime and the Uchiha created the Military Police Force-"

"Wait a minute!" Naruto shouted, "Wasn't this all during the First Shinobi War? Why would clans be fighting each other while we're at war with other villages?"

"Don't interrupt me Naruto!" Sakura shouted and threw an apple at Naruto, "Baka! Don't ask stupid questions!"

"It's rude to interrupt when other people are speaking Naruto," Iruka said reprimanding the fuming Naruto, "But that is a good question. Why would Konoha shinobi fight each other when the entire village was already at war? Anyone?"

"Cause no one understood what it meant to be a village yet." A lazy kid in the back answered for the class to hear, "Remember that at the time, Konoha had only been around for a decade or so...other hidden villages had the same problem. People who were born and raised under the warring clans era still carried that mentality with them to their new villages. In fact, loyalties were still kept along clan lines even inside the villages. The founding clans took time work out any form of cooperation or understanding, especially if they were former enemies. But new clans would commit covert actions to subvert the ruling caste of the founding clans to advance their own statuses."

"Thank you Shikamaru," Iruka said, surprised to hear the Nara boy speak for once, "And there's your answer Naruto. To summarize Shikamaru's explanation, the clans of the village didn't understand that working together was the best way for their village to become strong."

"Iruka-sensei..." Naruto started with a raised hand, "Does that mean that the Police Force was created to consolidate the village's shinobi into a singular mindset?"

"Somewhat..." Iruka answered, unsure about letting this line of conversation continue, "To remind Konoha clans that they were shinobi of the village first and members of their clans second. Sometimes what a clan believes is right for itself may in fact be harmful to the entire village, so said clan must be willing to work as part of a collective rather than an individual."

"Or else they'd be killed if they were by themselves." Naruto bluntly stated, "Isn't that what happened to the Shinkan clan?"

"You were paying attention during that lesson?"

"The parts that weren't boring."

"Weren't boring eh?" Iruka was both annoyed at Naruto's joyful obnoxiousness and happy to learn that Naruto was starting to some of his lessons seriously, "In that case students since Naruto thinks that half of the first ten years of Konoha's existence were boring, we're going to have a pop quiz!"

"Naruto!"

"Troublesome..."

"Damn it..." Sasuke muttered, "I was hoping to get out early today..."

"We are here to learn stuff right?" Naruto asked, "Besides, this'll be easy."

"Did you lie about paying attention half the time?"

"Actually, I wasn't paying attention at all." Naruto boasted with a laugh, unable to hear Hinata's quiet warning, "Because I diligently learned about it from history scrolls at home!"

"Naruto..."

"What's up Hinata?" Seeing Hinata look past him, he gulped and turned to see his smirking teacher looking at him with crossed arms, "Iruka-sensei..."

"In that case..." Iruka started, "You'll get the highest marks on this quiz, right Naruto?"

"Believe it!" Naruto shouted, taking the sensei's challenge right as he received his copy of the quiz. "Iruka-sensei! Who cares what the Shodai's wife's hair style was!"

"Dobe..." Sasuke couldn't take it anymore, he had to bury his face into his palms, "Hope Itachi's doing something more exciting than this..."

* * *

"Hokage-sama!" A messenger knocked on the office door of the Sandaime Hokage, "Two anbu are here to see you."

"Send them in." Sarutobi Hiruzen warmly said as he hid away a journal filled with "completely innocent pictures of women" and nodded to the masked ANBU that entered his office, "Remove your masks boys, you're among friends now."

"Thank you Hokage-sama." Itachi replied respectfully, he bowed and offered a sealed scroll along with his companion, "We have a report from Kani."

"I see, thank you boys." The Hokage said as he took the scroll from Itachi and broke it's chakra-laden seal, "Nice to see that at least one of your seals work."

"I try my best Hokage-sama." Satoshi replied with a chuckle while he stayed on his knees, "Hows the prankster?"

"If I'm not mistaken, he started an in-depth discussion concerning Konoha's history."

"I'm sure that it was very informative-"

"Particularly on a subject that didn't bore him." The Hokage took Naruto's quiz from his desk and handed it to his guardian, "I'd say that the resultant pop quiz can be attributed to you?"

"Guess so...I'll have to talk to him later..." Satoshi began before he read over Naruto's score, "Wow...he did really well! Good job Naruto!"

"Satoshi, we're in the middle of a debrief."

"Right...sorry..." Satoshi apologized and followed Itachi's joined fingers towards the Hokage's worried expression, "Is there a problem Hokage-Sama?"

"I am afraid that my suspicion is confirmed. What do the two of you make of this?"

"The Snake is forming a power base in Kani," Itachi stated as the Hokage listened, "All we found were testimonies and coincidences...but there's at least enough to warrant keeping an eye on Kani for any activity."

"Indeed...anything further would be seen as an act of war." The Hokage gravely agreed, "It seems that the Snake chose well. A full search of the Kani would require full squads, something that other villages would see as an act of aggression, particularly Kumo."

"Or Yuga and Shimo."

"Yuga? I thought that they'd dropped out of the shinobi world?"

"A hidden village never "drops" out of the shinobi world." The Hokage said to Satoshi, "Yuga may not have an active military, but they will have the finances to quickly hire and supply mercenaries and missing-nin. Furthermore, their alliance with Kumo still stands and tension remains strong after three years."

"The Hyuga Incident?"

"You'd know better than I Satoshi," The youth gulped while the Hokage finished reading the report, "Enough, I will not bore you youngsters. Go home and rest, I will alert you when your services are needed."

"Hai, Hokage-sama!" Both said as crows peeled away from their bodies and left nothing behind while a flock of crows flew out of the open window.

"Impressive as always." The Hokage smiled, "Kage? You may give your report."

"Hokage-sama..." A before unseen Anbu wearing a black mask rose from the Hokage's shadow and bowed before presenting a scroll, "The Ero-Sennin sends his regards."

"Thank you Kage." Sarutobi took the scroll and broke it's Konoha seal, "How did those two perform?"

"Very well sir, they complement each other in combat." Kage reported while Sarutobi sat and lit his pipe, "Unsurprising since they were in the same Genin squad."

"Indeed, the bonds from those endeavors never break." Sarutobi briefly recalled the days of his youth when he fought alongside Danzo with youthful fervor and valor, "They sour and thin out a little at worst."

"What do you want Shunshin to do?"

"Move in on all known associates of Snake." Hiruzen commanded upon handing Kage the resealed scroll that Itachi and Satoshi had left him, "Take them alive for interrogation if possible, otherwise ensure that they cannot continue their operations."

"Terminate them?"

"If you must." He hated for unnecessary blood to be shed, but this was not the first time that the Sandaime Hokage had to make such an order, "If they expect death then maim or seriously cripple them. Be sure that the Snake knows of our awareness."

"Hokage-sama."

"What word from Jiraiya I wonder?" Sarutobi asked himself while reading the scroll that his former student had sent him. Jiraiya's messages were always brief and too the point to save paper for "his research". However, once the Hokage deciphered the content of the letter...it spelled a single word that Sarutobi hoped to never hear of again, "Akatsuki..."

* * *

"I think I blew the test..."

"Who cares if you did."

"My dad will." Sasuke lamented to the bored Naruto while they walked through the busy streets of the market section, "He always wants me to be just like Itachi-"

"Sucks for him."

"What does that mean?" Sasuke asked his frowning friend who stuck his tongue out at a woman who looked offended by Naruto, "Don't you want to be like your niisan one day?"

"Like him? Nah! I'm gonna be better than Satoshi!" Naruto boosted proudly while Sasuke groaned, "Cause the Hokage is the greatest ninja in the village, so when I'm Hokage, I'll be the best. Including being better than Satoshi."

"Why am I even surprised?" Sasuke asked himself, "So you don't think that I'll be like niisan?"

"You shouldn't have to." Naruto said as they neared the gates of the high-walled Uchiha Compound, "If you waste time being like someone else then you'll never be the best that you can be. Sure, you can try to learn from your brother and all that...but it's stupid for your dad to try and make you like your brother."

"Maybe..." While what Naruto was saying did sound reasonable, Sasuke still felt uneasy about the idea, "I just want my dad to tell me...I'm his boy. Don't you feel good when Satoshi tells you that he's proud of you?"

"He's not really my dad..." Naruto pointed out, "But yeah, I see what you mean. It's nice knowing that someone out there cheers you on and has your back. Isn't Itachi like that for you?"

"Yeah...but it's different..." As Sasuke wondered exactly how it was different, two guards in chunin vests appeared in front of the boys, "Inari? Koga? Hi guys."

"Sasuke, it's good to see you." Koga responded and turned his glance towards Naruto, "What is this thing doing here?"

"What's that thing on your face?" Naruto asked, pointing to the man's head with a cocky smirk, "Oh wait? That is your face? What's wrong with your face?"

"You little..." Koga snarled and moved towards Naruto, but stopped when Sasuke stepped in front of Naruto, "Sasuke...move."

"Naruto is my friend! And Itachi said that we could play!" Sasuke shouted while shaking but looking straight into the eyes of a shinobi who was four times his age and had killed many shinobi himself, "So...stop being a scared bully..."

"Sorry Sasuke, though I wouldn't advise befriending outcasts and weaklings," Inari stated, placing a hand on his comrade and nodding for him to return to his post, "Make sure that...Naruto is on his best behavior."

"It's not like I'm staying." Naruto grumbled as he stepped out from behind Sasuke and strolled through the open gateway with Sasuke following closely by, "You didn't have to do that."

"I know." Sasuke replied with a smile to his friend, the two of them looked back to see Koga angrily mouth something to Inari who stood and nodded while looking towards the boys, "If you want to stay the night, my mom really won't mind-"

"Relax Sasuke! It's not like your guards will kill me as soon as you're not around!" Naruto laughed with Sasuke nervously joining in, "Why's everyone so scared of Itachi anyway?"

"Cause he's the best in the clan?"

"Except that you're a bunch of overrated pretentious punks?"

"What does pretentious mean?"

"Someone who thinks that they're more important than they really are."

"So you're a pretentious punk?"

"Teme!"

"Dobe."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Going a slow pace for now, but the ball will get going in a few more chapters as far as the plot is concerned.**

**The show/manga never said when Sasuke's "fanclub" started, but I would've thought that it started before the Uchiha Massacre hence what you saw here. Whereas Pre-Massacre Sasuke is embarrassed and unsure about what to do with it...Post-Massacre Sasuke...goes from ignoring them to outright attempting to murder them (As seen from his tender care of Karin when Danzo held her hostage and his two attempts at murdering Sakura)**

**I had a really good reason for giving Naruto an "adoptive" parent and here it is. It always bothered me how Naruto never had any pivotal parental support for most of his childhood (where it would be the most important), but I can see why it happened the way that it did.**

**Jiraiya couldn't take the kid in without having him leave the village and not only is that a safety hazard for Naruto, but Jiraiya has habits that aren't good for a boy to grow up around like: gambling, pervasive behavior, sleeping with lots of women, brutal interrogations, spying endeavors and etc. Plus, despite all of those things, the fact remains that Jiraiya just didn't do it for some reason. I guess he decided that he'd put Naruto into more danger and waited till the kid was older...which makes sense.**

**Kakashi...I'm not so sure about. He knew that Naruto was his former sensei's son, but for some reason he basically ignores Naruto for most of his life too. Was it out of guilt for not protecting his sensei? Obito? Or for "letting Rin die" (AKA stabbing her through the chest)? True, he was in Anbu for an unknown amount of years, but seeing as that Anbu usually have their identities hidden and Kakashi is famously known as "Copycat Kakashi" throughout the Ninja villages...he probably left when Naruto was a kid and could've adopted him...but he didn't for unspecified reasons.**

**Kind of makes him a bit of a jerk...**

**Besides that, I can see why most other people wouldn't want to "adopt" Naruto considering how much they utterly hate him for having the Kyubi inside of him. So I just had the character of Satoshi adopt him and at least give him a home where he can be nurtured and not be so utterly alone for most of his life. Hence constituting a Naruto whose relatively the same as canon, except a bit more knowledgeble and un-handicapped socially and ninja skill wise.**

**As a result, we'll have Naruto as a more "effective" shinobi.**

**Later.**


	3. Bittersweat Afternoon Victory

It was close to 5:40 pm when the evening soured.

Satoshi took a routine visit to the Ichiraku Ramen Stand for a small bowl of the monthly special. While eating, he'd talk to the owner's daughter and listen to her stories about the wild customers who came to the stand before he did. After finishing, paying and saying good-bye to Ayame, Satoshi would go home to find Naruto in the middle of something crazy and ready to talk all about his day.

Except for today.

"Naruto always comes by this stand, he'd die without one bowl a day."

"I don't know what to say Satoshi. He may have been at a friend's house."

That was when Satoshi remembered where Naruto had been. He complemented Ayame's dress and started for the Uchiha Estate. Naruto should've been on his way home by now or he's still with Sasuke having forgotten the time. Either way, Satoshi was certain to meet the boy on the way to the Uchiha sector of the village or within it.

5:40 was when he found Naruto on the ground being stomped on by a member of the Konoha Military Police.

"Excuse me?" Satoshi asked in false obliviousness to what was happening, "Why are you stomping on that kid?"

"I'm teaching this kid a lesson!" The Officer, Inari Uchiha shouted before stomping on Naruto again, "What's it to you?"

"That kid is my ward." His back turned, the Uchiha couldn't react when Satoshi kicked his side and sent him flying onto the street, "Doesn't this count as police brutality? Which is strictly outlawed?"

"Who the hell do you think-" Inari recovered and stood up to face the boy who had just attacked him, "Satoshi. Oh...I know who you are...you're the one who adopted this demon? I thought you were smart."

"Smarter than you at least." Satoshi said to the shinobi ten years older than him, "I'm going to have to beat you."

"Guess you don't know who I am." Inari's eyes turned from brown to scarlet red while Satoshi gulped, "Didn't you know that every member of the Police Force is an Uchiha?"

"And you happen to belong to the 1/6th of members who can use a sharigan?" Satoshi asked as he charged and threw punch that Inari lazily blocked before delivering a series of blows into his right shoulder and chest. Pushed back, Satoshi spat out blood while chuckling about his oversight, "Lovely..."

"Isn't it?" The Officer said with a confident smirk as he charged and Satoshi swiped at his face. The Shadow clone vanished in an instant before Satoshi felt the Uchiha kick him in the right side of his back and send him flying into the ground, "You're not so tough."

"Satoshi!"

"Quiet brat!" Inari kicked Naruto onto the street and stomped his foot into the boy's stomach, "I'm not even finished with you yet."

_"Satoshi."_ The Off-Duty ANBU felt himself boil as he heard Naruto protest and whimper in pain, _"Focus your boiling emotion. Don't let it override your thought patterns or training. Focus."_

_"Don't turn around, his sharingan is active."_ Satoshi's mind reminded him as he stood on a knee, _"First, vacuum palm to create a debris screen to obscure his vision." _Focusing chakra into his palm, he slammed it into the ground. The chakra flowed through the surface of the soil and blew a cloud of loosened dirt into the air around him and Inari.

_"As you approach target, use handful of dirt to negate occular capability and disrupt prepared counterattack."_ The Anbu turned, scooping dirt into his right hand and throwing it into the Uchiha's eyes before the Officer could strike with his kunai, _"Now block blind jab and counter with cross to the right clavicle." _With the left hand, he blocked a fist from Inari's right hand and used the right to deal a focused punch into the top of Inari's shoulder. The Uchiha cursed in pain and swung towards Satoshi's head with his free hand.

_"Accept left hook into right side of cranium."_ Satoshi grit his teeth as a painful blow was dealt to the side of his head. His vision shook from the blow of the attack, but it left his target vulnerable. _"Elbow to the Ulna." _Bracing off of the man's shattered shoulder, Satoshi drove his elbow into the Uchiha's lower forearm.

_"Left Full Force to the lower cervical vertebre and Right Full Force to the Larynx."_ His speed and reaction decreased by his painful injuries, Inari's pain was only increased from the calculated and parallel blows to his throat and the back of his lower neck, _"High Kick Front Cranium." _Satoshi hopped and brought his foot into the Uchiha's forehead and causing the man's body to point upwards.

_"Sweeping Kick into right patella."_ Satoshi crouched and swept his leg into the bastard's right knee. Causing the Uchiha to lose balance and fall towards the right, _"Let Gravity do the rest." _Naruto grimaced as the man's head impacted the ground and sent blood out of his nose and mouth while Satoshi stood over him.

_"Victory Achieved."_ Satoshi grimaced while rubbing the sore spot on his head, _"In Summary...heavily irritated eyes; broken right clavicle resulting in temporary inability to use right arm; broken left ulna and shattered left radius rendering left forearm useless; fractured cervical vertebre; ruptured larynx; damaged right patella resulting in damaged right knee; and a cranium with cracks on it's front and it's right side. Ability to harness and utilize chakra: stunted and otherwise disrupted. Nervous system: pain threshold overwhelmed. Respiratory system: air intake clinched due to throat damage."_

_"Chances of survival: regretfully 88%. Time for physical recovery, minimum of two weeks. Psychological trauma, minimum of two months."_ Inari shook in pain and perhaps fear while Satoshi walked over to Naruto, _"Ability and Willingness to antagonize and brutalize Naruto, neutralized."_

"Whoa..." Naruto stood on his feet and lightly chuckled, "How does the dirt taste Officer?"

"You little brat..." Inari managed, "I'm a member of the Konoha Police..."

"Fuck the Police!" Naruto yelped when Satoshi slapped the top of the boy's head, "Ow! What was that for?"

"Watch your language, Naruto." Satoshi reprimanded his charge as the fallen Uchiha's comrades appeared, "Tekka? Koga? Yashino? Whose next officers? Or is the prowess of Uchiha exaggerated?"

"You've got some nerve..." Yashino growled with the reds of the sharingan activated in his eyes and his comrades, "You may have gotten Inabi with your tricks, but you'll never lay a scratch on us!"

"Do we have to fight? Inabi kind of had it coming by picking on some kid-"

"That child is a demon!" Tekka shouted angrily while Naruto stared back at him, "And don't think because of your family that we're afraid of you. Uchiha wiped your clan like it was sweat-"

"You were warned." Satoshi exhaled and closed his mouth as his mind continued to speak, _"Disadvantages: Numerical, one chunin-level anbu against three chunin level officers with prior history of teamwork and combat excellence; Tactical, compounded by previous disadvantage is the fact that a frontal assault will be difficult against three trained sharingan users; and Collateral, various civilians are watching the scuffle and Naruto is closest by. The Uchiha have little regard for collateral damage and I do."_

_"Advantages."_ Koga Uchiha spat as he and his friends charged on the off-duty ANBU,_ "Trademark Uchiha Arrogance and posessing a shorter height than my targets."_

_"I can work with this."_ Satoshi fell into his standard melee stance and waited for the closest target to enter his threat range, _"Target 2: Feint to pelvic and Shoryuken to the Mandible." _Satoshi dashed forward, waiting until the last possible second to divert his fist away from Yashino's pelvis and thrust upwards into the Uchiha's open jaw.

_"With Target 2 momentarily stunned, block low kick from Target 3 and catch fist from Target 4."_ Satoshi crouched down, performing a swift spin to see and intercept Koga's kick and Tekka's fist in each of his hands, _"Accept Target 3's kick to Humerus and use momentum and adrenaline to apply pressure and twist Target 4's wrist." _It took all of Satoshi's resolve to keep the pain of Koga's chakra enhanced kick into his right upper arm. Anger and Adrenaline caused his grip to tighten on Tekka's fist and he twisted with assistance from the momentum of Koga's strength. Tekka screamed as his wrist was twisted and dislocated from it's appropriate place in his arm.

_"Twist jump behind Target 4, dislocating right arm entirely."_ Satoshi lifted himself up and over Tekka, twisting the man's arm along with him due to his unloosened grip. A sickening crunch was heard when Satoshi landed behind the Uchiha, _"Palm to the Vertebral Column."_ Satoshi grit his teeth and brought up his right arm, driving his right palm into the man's spine in spite of the growing pain from his fractured upper arm.

_"Throw Neutralized Target 4 at disoriented Target 2." _Satoshi gripped the stricken Uchiha and threw him at the partially recovered Yashino. The Anbu turned to see Koga draw out a kunai and dash for Satoshi, _"Swerve under kunai and spin kick into Target 3's Sternum." _Satoshi entered a swift spin, ducking under the Uchiha's strike and delivering a momentum powered kick into the Uchiha's chest. Bringing the Uchiha to a halt as he grabbed his chest in pain.

_"Vacuum Palm now."_ Satoshi pressed his palm into the ground, creating another screen of debris, _"Deceive and further Discombobulate Target 2." _Focusing to ignore the pain that burned throughout his right arm, Satoshi made a swift series of handsigns at the same time that at least one of the Uchiha did...

"Katon! Searing Ignition!" Yashino fired a stream of light air into the cloud, a column of ember flowed through the stream until it entered the cloud and set aflame the oxygen within the cloud, "Alright! Where are you!"

"Little bastard got away." Tekka noted while rubbing the right side of his head and saw himself emerge on the other side of where the cloud once stood, "Wait a minute...the bastard's trying to turn us against each other!"

"Wait Yashino! He's the imposter!" The Other Tekka shouted and pointed to Tekka while Tashiro dazzily looked from one to the other, "Use your sharingan! Damn it!"

"Okay..." The Uchiha's eyes went from one Tekka to the other. Neither moved as Yashino chuckled and turned towards his intended target, "Nice try! Katon! Feather Fireball!"

"Yashino wait!" Tekka watched as his imposter was surrounded by a small ring of feathers that stuck to his body. Just as the feathers ignited and caused the imposter to cry out in agony while being burnt alive, Yashino saw Tekka's eyes turn pale gold.

_"Deception Complete."_ Satoshi dispelled the transformation jutsu and dashed for the enraged Yashino, _"Poke left Occular Socket." _Caught in the throes of anger and still slightly dizzy from ruptured jaw, he could not register his sharingan's warnings about the finger that violently jabbed his left eye.

_"Full Force, Left Clavical Vertebre."_ Still reeling from the previous attack, Yashino was unable to defend against the powerful chop to the side of his neck, _"Follow through and Knee to Pelvic Girdle." _Applying pressure, Satoshi knocked Yashino off of his feet and positioned his knee so that the momentum of the Uchiha's fall would send his lower hip into a violent clash with his knee.

_"Take Fireball to the left side."_ At his limit, Satoshi didn't even try to avoid the fireball that the remaining Uchiha had concocted and allowed it to sear into his left side, _"Impact right scapula onto hard wooden wall." _The force of the fireball knocked the Anbu into the wall of a nearby abandoned apartment, adding more pain to his right arm than was already there.

_"Accept Heavy Kick to the Face."_ The singed Tekka cried out as he ran at Satoshi and the Anbu prepared to have a fractured face. To Satoshi's surprise and amazement, the kick was blocked by the very child that he'd started this mess to protect, "Naruto!"

"Leave Satoshi-niisan alone!" Naruto growled while holding Tekka's leg with both arms, arms that were covered with a red chakra that made Satoshi's eyes widen with concern for Naruto. Tekka tried to pry his leg from the boy, but cried out when Naruto tightened his hold and the man's leg bled as a result of their tug-o-war, "What's wrong? I thought you liked kicking demons around?"

"You're right!" Tekka used his other leg to kick Naruto's face, sending the boy landing in front of a recovering Satoshi. Naruto sat up and watched as Tekka charged with a kunai in hand. Before the blade could strike, Satoshi's arm impacted onto the man's face and sent him backwards onto the floor, "Damn it!"

_"Naruto has bought a valuable opportunity, use it. Low Kick Right side of mandible and apply pressure to fractured tibia to break it."_ Satoshi stomped on the man's lower leg at where Naruto had previously held it, causing it to be disalligned from the rest of the leg as Satoshi swiftly kicked in Tekka's jaw, _"Due to lethal threat to Naruto's well-being, deadly force is authorized. Remove Kunai from loosened right grip, due to previous injuries from B-level Fire ninjutsu, ability to protest will be...lessened."_ Tekka breathed heavily as Satoshi easily wrenched the Uchiha-made kunai from the downed shinobi.

_"Mderate incision across the left radialis longus." _The Uchiha weakly raised up his arm before Satoshi slashed open his left wrist, _"Finishing strike, aim for the heart. No hesistation. No mercy."_

_"Block and parry kunai from emotionally compromised comrade."_ A katana blocked and then knocked the kunai from Satoshi's hand, _"Then smile and jab his forehead." _Itachi Uchiha smiled as he jabbed two fingers into Satoshi's forehead.

"Naruto, Satoshi." Itachi happily greeted in apparent unawareness of what had transpired barely a minute beforehand or that four of his clan members were lying on the ground in varying states of pain and injury.

Or he just didn't care.

_"Situation defused."_ Satoshi closed his eyes and allowed his focus to decrease back to normal levels. With Itachi here, this meant that someone had called...the police, "Show off."

"Itachi-"

"Yashiro, be silent." Itachi coldly commanded as he walked into the middle of the four uchiha, "You and your squad have brought disgrace upon Konoha and our clan. You have willfully and knowingly committed multiple breeches in your code as military police officers and as shinobi of the Leaf."

"What took you so long?" Satoshi asked, "Another few minutes and I'd be done for if not for Naruto."

"Speaking of whom. This incident started when he kicked and antagonized you, no?" Itachi asked Naruto, who nodded as Satoshi pointed to the one of the alleys nearby. Itachi nodded and walked towards one of them, "Come out child. There is no need to hide now."

"I'm...sorry..." The young Hyuga heiress muttered as she walked into the open and ran towards Naruto when she saw the bruises on him, "Satoshi-san...Naruto-kun...are you alright?"

"We're fine, what about you?" Naruto asked the girl as Itachi looked on questionably. Seeing that Itachi and his guardian wanted answers, Naruto pointed to Inari "He kicked me and I would've let it go. But Hinata told him to stop and he grabbed her and called her a bitch. So I kicked him in his shin and then he kicked me again!"

"That explains the limp on his right side." Satoshi said to himself, "When I came to the scene, the boy was getting stomped and called a demon and then...a fight broke out."

"I see." Itachi stated, "Well then Inari, it appears as though you must be executed."

"What!" Inari cried out before painfully coughing, "Itachi...please...I wasn't going to kill the little brat! I just wanted to put him in his place-"

"You mean like I'm doing to you?" Itachi asked as he brought his sword over the officer's face, "Attacking and brutalizing a civilian unprovoked and without a warrant...Threatening the heiress of a shinobi clan...Defying the Sandaime's Decree...all of this warrants at least an expulsion of your shinobi rank and your expulsion from the military police."

"As accomplices to these actions and provoking a fight with a fellow shinobi where a civilian's life was threatened and causing much property damage." Itachi continued referring to the rest of the downed squad, "You risk the same penalties if not death itself."

"Wait!" A panicked Naruto shouted, "I know that they're mean...and ugly...but don't kill them! Please!"

"Are you sure Naruto?" Itachi asked without any expression on his face. Hinata was held back by Satoshi, who wanted to see if his ward would continue through with this act of mercy, "Sparing them won't change their minds about you. If I killed them, the Hokage will not hold it against you or Satoshi. I would face no repercussions for I was acting as I should."

"I don't want them to die!" Naruto shouted before looking down at the men whose very eyes spat into his face, "Next them that they try this...they'll wish that they were..."

"What's going on!" Naruto jumped as a dozen Shinobi, some chunin and others police force members appeared on the scene led by a man in his mid-thirties with a heavy face, "Itachi..."

"Father." Itachi greeted Fugaku Uchiha, "The situation is taken care of, could you take Yashiro and his unit into custody."

"It looks I should be taking those two instead." Fugaku noted, recognizing how the four Uchiha could not stand and that Satoshi and Naruto were battered but still mostly healthy, "Very well, take them into custody."

"Thank you for your assistance father." Itachi bowed reverently as the downed police squad was lifted from the ground and the platoon vanished before Naruto's eyes, "I must hurry, Sasuke is probably wondering where I am."

"Tell that teme that I still need help with the Uchiha stuff alright?"

"Of course." Itachi happily replied to Naruto, "In fact...would it be alright if Sasuke stayed over your house tonight?"

"Satoshi?"

"No problem," Satoshi replied while grabbing his right armpit, "Thanks Itachi."

"No need." The Uchiha said as his body fell into a flock of crows that flew into the air.

"Show off." Satoshi murmered and looked down at the amazed Naruto, "You've seen him do this before."

"It still looks cool..." Naruto admitted and remembered something, "Hey Hinata! We'll walk you home!"

"That...that won't be necessary-"

"Come on, your father is about to burn down the village to find you anyway." Satoshi chuckled as Hinata's face paled, "I kid! Your father isn't that irrational."

"Lady Hinata!" A Hyuga with light hair in traditional cloth cried out as he ran into the district with his active byakugan, "Thank Kami! Your father was about to burn the village looking for you!"

"Ko-san." Hinata said as she bowed her head to her caretaker, "I'm sorry, but I had to help Naruto."

"Naruto..." Ko looked over to where Naruto sarcastically waved, "Hinata, how many times have I told you...your father doesn't want you to be seen with him."

"But he protected me..."

"What do you mean?" The Hyuga asked and turned to the eleven year old, "Well? What happened Satoshi?"

"Hinata was standing against Uchiha arrogance and a misuse of police authority." Satoshi replied, "For her trouble, she was grabbed and threatened until Naruto saved her. Receiving a brutal beating as a result."

"I see..." Ko stated and hesitantly bowed to Naruto, "Thank you for saving Lady Hinata. I assure you that Lord Hiashi will be grateful for your actions."

"I'm not counting on it." Naruto waved his hand and turned his back to the Hyugas, "Let's go home Satoshi."

"Naruto..." Hinata started, redness returning to her face as she continued when Naruto turned back, "I am grateful for what you did. Thank you..."

"Anytime Hinata." Naruto replied with a bow, "Least someone's grateful in this village."

"Don't worry about him, he's still a little shaken by this fight." Satoshi assured Hinata when Naruto started back for home, "Like I'm one to talk. Have a good evening Lady Hinata."

"Hai..." Hinata stated as Ko gently guided her into the opposite direction, "Bye...Naruto..."

_"Hopefully, Ko will keep his word and animosity from the Hyuga Clan should lessen. If only temporarily. Either way, doors of friendship are fully opened between Naruto and Hinata."_ "Wasn't that fun? We beat up four police officers and didn't get punished."

"That first guy won't get punished for beating up a demon." Naruto listlessly stated as his smile completed faded, "But he'll be in the hospital for a little while, right? With those other guys too?"

"Two Weeks at least." Satoshi told the boy with a sense of satisfaction, "Another guy has a dislocated or shattered spine...another has a crushed pelvis and a disrupted spinal column and the last guy has a cut tendon, a broken leg, various third and second degree burns all over his body and a ruptured-"

"You could just say yes." Naruto muttered and saw Satoshi wince from the pain in his right side, "That looks like it hurts."

"It's not as bad as it looks kid." Satoshi partially lied to Naruto, _"Fractured right scapula, third degree burns across left side of chest and hip, bruised rib cage on right side, ruptured and by now-overtaxed humerus and a crack in the right side of my cranium. Chakra amount...40% depleted. Minimum Time for recovery...two days, maybe three."_ "It was worth for you though."

"Thanks..." Naruto said with a small but genuine smile, "Next time, I'll be the one saving you. I promise."

"No hurry kid, I'm the adult. I'm supposed to protect you."

"But you're only eleven-"

"Shut up." While Naruto laughed and Satoshi laughed with him, it was a small truth about the shinobi world that outsiders would find horrible. Once one becomes a genin, they are considered a true adult in the eyes of the shinobi world. But even before he graduated alongside Itachi, Satoshi hadn't be a child since he was five years old...

Something that he hoped Naruto would never have to go through.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**I think this chapter firmly establishes Satoshi's main role in the story. He'll act as Naruto primary caretaker and, until Naruto learns to do so for himself, his protector against whatever little boys shouldn't have to deal with. Be it parental neglect to bullies to hateful shinobi who want to hurt Naruto for reasons beyond his control.**

**It'll still be a hard life for young Naruto, but he won't have to wait until he's 12/13 to know that someone cares about him.**

**PS: Yes, the fight was influenced by the Sherlock Scan from the Sherlock Holmes movie.**


	4. Troubled Contentment

**Konoha Military Police Captain's Office**

"You can't do this!"

"One more word and you're expelled from the force!" Fugaku Uchiha shouted to Inari Uchiha while the latter sat in a wheelchair with Itachi Uchiha sitting by the wall nearby, "You attacked an ANBU and attacked a child who is under the direct protection of the Sandaime and even tried to kill him."

"He tried to pry off my leg-"

"You also threatened and insulted the heir of the Hyuga Clan..." The Police Captain exhaled in exhasperation, "Look...I don't care if you like the brat or not...I don't like him myself. But you can't abuse your authority in direct defiance of the Sandaime's decree! Your rank and title are suspended for four months starting after you are released from the hospital-"

"But I won't be out for three months!"

"Failure to comply with this punishment will result in your expulsion from the Police Force! Afterwards you will be referred to the Shinobi Reclassification Office to discuss your discharge from the Shinobi Forces!" Itachi calmly watched Inari's head drop in acceptance at the mention of the Reclassification Office or the SRA for short.

Normally a shinobi only made an appointment with the SRA when they desired to willingly retire from a specific area of the Shinobi Forces. Whether for medical reasons such as disease or permanent injury or psychological trauma from the horrors of the shinobi life, a shinobi would request an appointment from the Hokage. If approved, the Hokage would find several individuals within the shinobi's field and interview them within a closed office. Once there, the shinobi would discuss their situation and their reasons for resigning their position or retiring from active duty. Once the discussion is finished, interviewers will read through the shinobi's mission profile and compare it to their testimony and medical records.

If the shinobi's reasons were judged as insufficient, the shinobi would be placed upon a series of mediation appointments before being sent back into the field. If it was judged that the shinobi was no longer able to perform in their role, then they would be allowed to retire from Active Duty or will be reassigned to a role that the Hokage judges that they are most needed.

However, it is tradition for a shinobi to willingly request an appointment. If the shinobi's superior officer refers them to the SRA then it means that the decision to drop them from the Shinobi Forces has already been decided. As a result, those referred are unanimously dropped from Armed Forces...a sign of disgrace to members of shinobi clans like the Uchiha.

"I understand Captain." Inari said before Yashino entered the office with a cast over his arm and wheeled Inari out when Fugaku nodded.

"Four of my officers on suspension...two of them in recovery for at least a month..." Fugaku glared in the direction of his son, "If your friend wasn't a member of the ANBU...then I'd have him arrested for this mess."

"Except that your department lacks that authority father. ANBU are under the direct command of the Hokage." Itachi pointed, "Furthermore, my friend was within his rights to protect a child who is under his custody."

"A child whose very existence is a threat to our village!" Fugaku snapped while Itachi stood in place, "If I go around arresting every shinobi and civilian who antagonizes Naruto then the village would be half empty along with our forces!"

"So you remain content to tolerate their defiance of the Yondaime's last wish and the Sandaime's orders?"

"The Sandaime's command asks too much of people! You weren't there Itachi..." Fugaku calmed down and stood up from his seat, "You were just a child when the Kyubi attacked the village...the devastation...the terror...the desperation...the graveyards that were filled...we lost more lives on that day than we did throughout the entire war! You can't blame the people for being human! They're angry and hurt...they need something to lash out at in a time of peace or that rage will turn inward upon the village..."

"That hardly excuses them..."

"They know...they just don't care..." Itachi and Fugaku were shocked by the appearance of Shisui Uchiha, "Forgive my intrusion...but Itachi's presence is required in the Hokage's Office."

"Understood...we'll finish this later Itachi." Fugaku told his son, "We'll also discuss Sasuke's attachment to the boy..."

"Very well..." Itachi said as he faded into several crows that flew out of an open window.

"Arrogant brat..." Fugaku muttered while turning his attention to Shisui, "So certain of himself...as if he were the hokage himself."

"Were you any different when you taught me, sensei?" Shisui asked with a slight smile, "Itachi is still young, he will understand when he comes of age...as I did."

"Itachi has grown up fast...I still remember that day when he was assigned to Hotaka's Team...and now he's an Chunin ANBU." Fugaku said while looking towards a single crow that remained perched outside of his office windows, "I feel like a parent from the Warring Clan's Era...sending his son to war when he's still a child out of some sense of honor. What's the use? It's peacetime after all."

"What of the plan?"

"Itachi is still loyal to the clan...when the time comes, I am certain that he will be at my side." Fugaku's sharingan activated while he contemplated the coming revenge of his clan...revenge for being ostracized and disrespected by this ungrateful village, "Have faith in him Shisui...Itachi is the future of the clan."

"And Sasuke?"

"I wish that I could say the same for him...but..." Fugaku truly loved his sons, but Sasuke's friendship with Naruto was always a point of contention within the family. Fugaku tolerated it due to Sasuke's youth and because of Itachi's warning...

_"Hate Satoshi if you wish and despise Naruto because of the demon within him..."_ Fugaku recalled his son saying, _"But if you attempt to drive Sasuke from his only true friend for selfish reasons...then you'd might as well drive Sasuke from our family and from the clan."_

"I don't know if Sasuke will be as loyal when the time comes..."

* * *

**Outside of Satoshi's Apartment**

"So you knocked your arm against the wall?"

"Yes...it's not that bad though..." Satoshi assured Ayame while they chatted outside, "You should see this one guy though! Someone opened the door and slammed into his ribs...he was thrown right on his head!"

"Oh...is he alright?"

"Hope not..."

"What?"

"I mean! He's in the hospital, he'll live." Satoshi quickly clarified to mask his indifference to Inari's injuries in the earlier incident, "Sun's down...you'd better get going before the Nightman gets you."

"That's just a silly little story Satoshi."

"Or is it?" Satoshi dramatically asked while Ayame giggled, "Alright...Naruto will love this take-and-make Ramen...have a good night Ayame-chan."

"You too Satoshi-kun...tell Naruto that I said hi."

"Will do," Satoshi watched Ayame run down the road to her home and quickly placed two fingers onto the ground, "Okay...why am I so damned paranoid in my home village?"

"Naruto! Get out of my way!"

"I called this spot first!"

"To be fair...I am dealing with Naruto..." Satoshi chuckled as he entered his apartment and saw Naruto standing on the ceiling with his arms crossed over his head and a leaf floating on his forehead, "Get down from the ceiling..."

"I like it up here!" Naruto shouted down as Satoshi humorously sat as if waiting for something, "Right Sasuke?"

"Naruto...why are we up here again?"

"Because Naruto wants to be a show-off." Satoshi answered Sasuke who was standing right next to Naruto. While Naruto kept standing, the leaf floated to the floor where Satoshi caught it, "Aren't you supposed to balance this on your forehead while standing on the ground?"

"How did that get down here-" Naruto was cut off when he lost his footing and fell towards the ground. Satoshi boredly caught his young charge in by his foot and kept him from hitting the ground and shortly afterwards caught Sasuke in the same fashion.

"Gravity." Satoshi stated while setting the boys on their feet, "Start with the leaf and work your way to the ceiling."

"But I can do the ceiling!" Naruto said, "I wanted to try doing both."

"Yeah...that's not going to happen." Satoshi stated, "You're just kids, I'm amazed that either of you lasted longer than a minute on the ceiling."

"I watched nii-san do it once and practiced in my room." Sasuke explained, "But...we were only up there for 40 seconds-"

"No we weren't teme!"

"Yes we were dobe!"

"Boys." Satoshi stated, bringing the boy's attention to him, "I appreciate your enthusiasm and all...but I'd rather not have Itachi and the Hokage tear me in half because you got your heads busted open."

"Sorry Satoshi-san..." Sasuke apologized while Naruto wordless did the same, "I just want to be like nii-san...that's all..."

"And I wanted to be better than my nii-san..."

"Better than me huh?" Satoshi asked Naruto who daringly nodded with a wide smile, "Then come back when you master your first jutsu at the age of 6..."

"I had that down at age 5!"

"Naruto...what have I told you about lying?"

"I'll show you!" Naruto exclaimed and flashed through a series of handsigns that made Sasuke blush, "Oiroke no Jutsu!" A cloud of smoke appeared around Naruto as Satoshi stood in confusion and interest at what lied behind the dissipating cloud of smoke.

"Naruto?"

"Hi Satoshi-kun..." An adult, well-endowed and very nude Ayame seductively greeted the shocked Satoshi, "Want some ramen?"

"Naruto..." Sasuke muttered with a red face as Satoshi stood completely still with blood running out of his nose, "I think you killed him..."

"Then it works!" Ayame shouted in victory before she transformed back into a laughing and triumphant Naruto, "Sorry about using Ayame...but she was the only face that I could think of other than Sasuke's mom..."

"NARUTO!"

"At least...it...works..." Satoshi muttered in a daze while Sasuke and Naruto entered a petty argument. Satoshi was halfway stunned from the vivid image of a large-breasted Ayame and happy that Naruto's mood had improved from earlier in the day...

* * *

**One Hour Ago Top of Satoshi's Apartment**

"Though she wouldn't have seen it, your reception of Hinata's gratitude was rude." Satoshi lightly reprimanded the quiet boy sitting on the railing next to him, "I know it hurts-"

"You know where it hurts?" Naruto asked without looking up, "It'll be a miracle if they even get suspended. The only thing that'll help me sleep is knowing how much pain that they're in."

"Want details?"

"I don't need to be smart to know when something hurts." Satoshi shrugged while Naruto pointed out the shoulder that the older boy was holding, "How's your shoulder?"

"Still aches and my forearm is still very stiff. Remind to go to the doctor tomorrow." Satoshi said to his charge, "And to the seamstress, these are my favorite pair of pants."

"They're just pants." Satoshi didn't bother arguing, "If I become Hokage, will this stop? Will they stop trying to hurt me? Will they stop hating me and accept me?"

"Once you graduate from the academy, they'll stop trying to hurt you. Mainly because you'll have a license to kill." Satoshi replied to the assured child, "Will they ever stop hating you? Will they accept you? I honestly can't say Naruto."

"Maybe I should've let Itachi kill those guys." Naruto admitted, "Four less people to look out for."

"The fact remains that you didn't, so no use thinking otherwise."

"Why not? You don't know everything!" Naruto shouted, "Do you know how great it would be to walk through this village without a single person giving me a hateful look? That's alright though...they'll be sorry when I'm hokage! Then I'll be the greatest shinobi in the village and everyone will stop looking at me like a bug! They'll see me as someone important! As someone to be respected!"

"And that's your only reason for wanting to be hokage?" Naruto looked at Satoshi as if there was no other reason while Satoshi looked towards the Hokage Monument behind them, "It's not what you intended, but you sound like you want to be a daimyo rather than a hokage."

"Bullshit!" Satoshi swiftly slapped the child on his head, "Hey!"

"Language." Satoshi stated while pointing the boy towards the monument which the child had already painted at least once already, "Kid...do you have any idea about what it takes to be a shinobi? Cause if you don't, then don't even bother about wanting to be hokage. The title of hokage is a pinnacle example about what it means to be a shinobi!"

"I know that!"

"If you did, then you wouldn't sound like such a brat." Satoshi figured that his words were a little harsh, but he didn't want Naruto's pain to turn into hatred, "The reign of the first two hokages was the most chaotic period in Konoha's history. Infighting, scheming, political and economic backstabbing, property and heritage clashes, and of course, the First Ninja War. When Konoha entered that war, we couldn't have been any more wracked with disharmony and conflict. Despite these insurmountable and unimaginable hurdles, Shodai Hokage Senju Hashirama remained determined to lay the seeds for his vision of the Will of Fire. Under his leadership, the village grew up from a rag-tag group of warring clans into a nation of shinobi, all united by one desire. To protect their legacy and pass it's fruit onto the next generation."

"When Hashirama died, his brother Tobirama became the Nidame Hokage." Satoshi instinctively drew his gaze towards the stern carved image of the Nidame, "Faced with the same challenges, he organized our roughly cut nation into a disciplined fighting force. His reign was short, but it's legacy will live on. Out of all of the hokage, Tobirama was likely the least popular and may remain so in history's eyes. People respected him, but while many loved him, just as many despised him and the decisions that he made. He was willing to sacrifice anything for the sake of the village and for the survival of the Will of Fire."

"That included his own life." Naruto knowingly nodded, "Old Man Sarutobi has served as the Sandaime Hokage from his sensei's death all the way to barely a year before you were born and resumed upon the tragic death of the Yondaime Hokage. You may think that his reign was filled with peace and joy, but more often then not...war threatened our borders. Two Ninja Wars were fought during his reign, forcing him to send whole generations into the fire with few emerging alive on the other side. He has even seen his own wife buried alongside hundreds of young people whom should be burying him."

"The Yondaime Hokage, Namizake Minato..." Satoshi paused as he briefly recalled the smiling face that the stone image of the Yondaime was based on and smiled warmly, "Was the greatest shinobi that Konoha had ever produced. Not just because he was good at killing people or because he was a powerful shinobi, though those did come in handy. But because he was brave, loyal, determined and an unwavering comrade to everyone who he ever knew. He saw himself and his fellow shinobi as protectors of his people. He was so dedicated to protecting the people of this village-"

"That instead of doing the intelligent thing and killing the Kyubi! HE SEALED IT INSIDE OF ME AND GOT HIMSELF KILLED!" Naruto roared with renewed frustration, "If he was so determined to protect the village, then why didn't he seal it a rock or into himself?"

"Does it matter? He choose you." Satoshi told the deflated Naruto, "If you want to become Hokage, you have to make a choice. To accept the things that you can't control and focus on that which you can control. As Hokage, you will be responsible for the lives of every shinobi and every citizen in this village. You will be charged with the safety of everyone who lives in this village and there will be times where you will have to balance one set of lives against another set without anyway of saving both."

"Seems easy when both groups are short-sighted idiots."

"So I'm short-sighted? Sasuke's short-sighted? The Hokage is short-sighted?"

"You're not like everyone else..."

"And how do you know that everyone in the village is a short-sighted idiot?" Satoshi asked and waited for Naruto to answer. When the boy shook and tears flowed from his eyes, Satoshi pulled the child into a gentle embrace, "It's not fair, I know. But people are selfish and flawed...when they see something that they don't understand, they kill it if they can or shun it at every turn. You remind them of that night six years ago...many people lost friends and loved ones when the Kyuubi attacked. Unable to lash out at the thing that took their loved ones away, they held in their anger and...lash out at the next best thing."

"How is any of this suppose to cheer me up?"

"That's up to you." Satoshi stated, "But even if people are stupid, just remember that there are people who care about you Naruto. Never lose sight of that...there's nothing wrong being angry. But don't let that anger turn you into something worst than a demon."

"What's worse than a demon?"

"There are monsters in human form Naruto...cold heartless monsters who kill, torment and destroy just because they can." Satoshi briefly recalled intercepting a human smuggler and standing in complete shock...looking from the smuggler to a dead boy around Naruto's age, "I've seen too many people like that...and I don't want you to become one of them...become so angry that you lose sight of your own humanity..."

"I won't become a monster..." Naruto said to Satoshi while the two broke their embrace, "Maybe not everyone will like me...but at least I've got people like you, Iruka-sensei...the Old Man...Sasuke...Ayame and Teuchi...and Hinata's nice to me too...I just got angry...that's all..."

"I'd be angry too if someone kicked me into the curb." Satoshi assured the child, "Now let's make the house a little neater...that way Sasuke can say that our house is cleaner than his."

"Why would he care?"

"His dad will."

"I can think of something else..."

"No pranks."

"You're no fun!"

* * *

**Present Time**

"Satoshi-san?" Sasuke asked Satoshi who was still lying on his back, "You're not paralyzed are you?"

"Nope!" Satoshi said while sitting up and throwing a pillow at Naruto, "Great...so you've mastered the first of three essentials that a shinobi needs...surprise..."

"Does that mean that I get learn a cool jutsu!"

"It means that I won't break your arm for using that jutsu on me." Satoshi replied with a smile while Naruto paled, "Speaking of jutsu...let me find it first..."

"Find what?" Sasuke asked as Satoshi pulled out a small piece of paper from his pocket, "Paper?"

"Not just any paper..." Satoshi clarified as he motioned Naruto over, "You'll probably learn more about this in class, but you know about element types right?"

"Yeah..."

"Yes...nii-san said that there's five types outside of kekkei genkai..." Sasuke replied, "There's Fire...Water...Earth...Lightning...and Wind...and that everyone has one element that they can more naturally learn."

"That's true...do you know your's?"

"I took something called a chakra paper from nii-san's bag once..." Sasuke admitted with mild disappointment, "But it crumbled...instead of burning like it does for other Uchiha..."

"That would make you a lightning type then." Satoshi replied to Sasuke's growing disappointment, "Lightning type attacks can be pretty deadly for a shinobi and they're quick too."

"But nii-san is a fire type...that means that it'll be harder for me to be like him..."

"Not this again...just learn some fire jutsu to shut your dad up."

"Naruto..." Satoshi warned, trying not to pressure Sasuke's insecurities concerning his family, "Just because you're a lightning type that doesn't mean that you still can't learn fire techniques...it just means that learning and using them will take more effort. I'm also a fire type and I know a few wind jutsu too and one or two lightning and ground techniques. But anything other than fire will require more effort and more chakra."

"Then why not stick to what you're good at?"

"To stay unpredictable." Satoshi answered Naruto, "Here...you take hold of his paper okay?"

"Okay..." Naruto agreed and took the piece of paper in his hand, "Now what-" Naruto shouted in surprise when the paper suddenly cut into two equal pieces.

"Wind..." Satoshi said to himself as Naruto looked at the remaining paper in his hand, "Which means that you'll have an easier time with learning and using wind jutsu. So you say stick to what you're good at right? So when you're as good of a shinobi as I am-"

"How about better?"

"Fine...better..." Satoshi agreed to humor Naruto, "Let's say that you're a Wind Jutsu Master. You can just wave your hand and a tornado will sweep away your enemies! You breath...and a typhoon rises from the east and destroys entire cities filled with your enemies."

"That sounds awesome! That's totally me-"

"But..." Satoshi continued and pointed to Sasuke, "What if...you came across someone who...was a Lightning Master...you'd have an advantage because your key element is stronger than his."

"Great-"

"But...he also knows fire jutsu." Satoshi added while Sasuke knowingly smirked, "Wind beats Lightning, Lightning beats Earth, Earth beats Water, Water beats Fire and Fire beats Wind. If the lesser element is applied to the stronger...it will only make the stronger element's jutsu that much more powerful. Maybe the Lightning Master can only make small fire crackers...but with your typhoon...that becomes a tunnel of fire..."

"Your tornado...becomes his firestorm...your greatest strength becomes his greatest asset." Satoshi went on while Naruto listened, "The point is...the predictable enemy...is a dead enemy."

"Oh..." Naruto thoughtfully nodded while Satoshi was pleased that he seemed to understand, "So what if I used my Oiroke no Jutsu and transformed into his mother?"

"Naruto..." Sasuke muttered in embarrassed frustration as the three of them heard something continually pelt upon glass, "Anyone hear that?"

"Sounds like a bird trying to get something..." Naruto said as Satoshi exhaled while he went into the kitchen area, "Satoshi?"

"Damn it..." Satoshi breathed when he saw a crow peak on the kitchen window, "Hey boys...I just remembered that I've got something work out at the office."

"Alright, don't trip on your way out." Naruto joked while Satoshi chuckled. Fortunately, Satoshi had informed Naruto that he would be gone from time to time due to his status in the ANBU. He hadn't told Naruto that he was part of the ANBU for his own protection, but the boy likely had figured it out since Satoshi worked in Itachi's squad and Itachi's ANBU status was an open secret within the Uchiha Clan including Itachi's younger brother.

"I'll try." Satoshi replied, "I'll have Ayame come by to check on you in the morning if-"

"I can take care of myself! I've been alone before-"

"Isn't Sasuke right next to you?" Satoshi pointed out to his young ward, "It's probably just a typo anyway...I'm not going away-"

"Stop being mushy and go already." Naruto said with feigned exasperation, "Good night."

"Night Shatei." "Night Sasuke."

"Night Satoshi-san."

"This better be good..." Satoshi mouthed as he ran through a series of hand signs and prepared for a long night...

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**There are a few guests who have protested the mere existence of an OC in a Naruto story that should focus on Naruto bonding with Hinata and growing up in general.**

**I won't refute this.**

**While I believe that OCs and the stories that they're in should be judged on their own merit rather than the core concept, I'm not going to tell you guys that you're wrong. Yes Naruto does feature a large cast and anyone of them could've have been shaped into the "caretaker" role without the complicated blasphemy of making an OC.**

**That's not what I wanted to do.**

**I didn't want to fundamentally change Naruto, I just want to have him become more "effective." In canon, he's actually one of the better genin considering that he defeated a Chunin before he even graduated and said chunin had just gotten done kicking a jonin-class chunin across the forest floor (No I'm not exaggerating, Kishimoto confirmed in the databooks that Iruka has the equivalent skill of a low-level Jonin/Tokubetsu Jonin but chooses to remain as a teacher). Yet, he couldn't perform simple tricks like running on trees or the basic-level clone jutsu without a lot of effort.**

**Not because he couldn't, but because he was lacking the basic foundation steps in shinobi training. Seeing as that most of the village either disliked or outright hated Naruto at this point in time, it made sense to have an OC adopt Naruto and give him those basic foundation steps. I won't say that there aren't better ways of making this happen and there's probably a story out there that already has the concept written out. This is the one that I've chosen and for better or worst, I'm sticking with it.**

**I also took the Marty Su Test for Satoshi and I can tell you that he's not a Gary Su after two results: first test, 18; second test, 16. If you still want to call him one, at least come up with an evidence-backed rational reason for me to consider. For instance, instead of saying, "He's a know-it-all." How about pointing out how he's a know-it-all and then I'll acknowledge/respond afterwards.**

**I know that this comes off as a bit of a rant, but I'm annoyed about accusations of Gary Stu despite going through the effort of not making one.**

* * *

**Translations**

**Oiroke No Jutsu** - Sexy Jutsu


	5. Death through Silence and Song

**Konoha Trading Posts**

Wearing a visage of neutrality even under his mask, Karosin stood several feet away from a surprising and horrific scene of murder.

Murder itself was a rare, but possible crime that still occurred and was normally handled by the Police Force for investigation and the upprehension and holding of suspects until their trial. If the murder involved the usage of jutsu then one or two ANBU would be assigned to assist the case alongside a jonin.

This particular scene was being strictly handled by ANBU and Jonin for one simple reason.

One of the murder victims was an ANBU herself.

"What ever happened to you coming in person?" Karosin heard his newly arrived partner ask, "Sorry about your clan mates."

"No you're not."

"You're right." Karosin just chuckled from Shishi's honesty, "Sad thing is that Inabi will probably get a slap on the wrist and the Hokage's going to-"

"Inabi has been suspended along with his squadmates." Karosin corrected his squadmate, "In any case...it is irrelevant. We have a breech in security."

"How bad?" Satoshi asked when Itachi pointed to the corpse that the analysis ops were examining, "Whose the victim?"

"Sanshōuo..." Karosin saw his partner's face slightly rise in shock, "She was on nighttime patrol and detected a disturbance in the Trading Posts. She sent a message requesting all available backup and was found like this..."

"Did they do it?" Shishi asked while pointing to the similarly cut up corpses down the street and then shook his head, "No...that's stupid, what's the story so far?"

"Evidently, those men were robbers who had broken into one of the posts." Karosin began to explain while pointing out the broken window of the building behind them, "Sanshouo caught them in the act and managed to subdue them."

"Then she was killed along robbers..."

"No murder weapon was found on her body or within the area." Karosin continued as Sanshouo's body was placed in a body bag and vanished along with three analysis ops members, "Apparently, all of the victims were killed within a single second by the same attack."

"Futon Jutsu?"

"No...the cuts were too precise...and nothing else was damaged by the attack." Karosin answered, "As the killer is still at large, we have been assigned to find them before they strike again."

"Anyone else?" Shishi asked, "Not that I don't mind a two man job...but it would be easier with four wouldn't it?"

"Then you'll just have to settle for three for now." Fellow ANBU Urufu said from behind Shishi, "Don't drop your guard Shishi...that's one of the top rules of a shinobi, no?"

"Whatever...just make sure that the killer doesn't spot that hair of yours." Shishi replied in reference to Urufu's spiky white hair, "What are your orders captain?"

"Shushin will join us later, but for now it's just us." Urufu explained to the attentive Shishi and Karosin, "I just spoke with the Analysis Ops and they've confirmed that Sanshouo was killed by a single thread-length cut through the right side of her chest, her upper arm and out the back of her right shoulder blade...the bandits were on her right side as well...one was decapitated, one had the top of his head cut off and the last was sliced through half of the left side of his neck."

"Brutal and efficient...any leads?"

"No witnesses...so nothing really except for a few noise complaints." Urufu admitted, "But whoever did it was fully aware of ANBU patrol patterns and time-coordinated activities in this district. Which means that whoever is behind this was acting from within the village."

"Anyone in the Bingo Book with a history of precise assassination?"

"You'll have to be more specific-"

"STOP BEING A SMARTASS!"

"But it's too much fun..." Karosin chuckled to the fuming Shishi, "So far no one has been found whom matches this description. But I'd recommend searching questioning anyone else who was on patrol tonight..."

"Either way...they're most likely the killer's next target..." Shishi stated, "No one would waste this precise of a technique on a group of petty thieves...the target knew that Sanshou's route was close by and was stalking her. We need to search along every patrol route for anyone whose out and about."

"The watchmen have already been alerted."

"Then we'll be on the lookout for whoever's watching the watchmen." Shishi told Karosin while Urufu pondered in place, "What do you say Captain?"

"I say that we take the easy way on this one." Urufu answered as he made a series of handsigns and slammed his hand into the ground, "Kuchiyose No Jutsu!" A dust cloud emerged and dissipated to reveal a pack of various hounds wearing the Konoha forehead protector.

"What is it Master?" A hound with sunglasses asked while the hounds picked up the scent of the blood stains upon the dirt, "A battle?"

"We have an intruder in the village..." Urufu told his hounds, "You'll split into groups of two...one group will meet up with Shunshin while the rest will divide between myself, Karosin and Shishi. You will follow them and alert them if you detect any foreign smell within the village whether it's a person or as insignificant as an insect, understood?" The hounds barked to agree with their owner.

"I'll take the Eastern Routes..." Karosin volunteered, "Shunshin will likely take the Western Routes."

"I'm going south."

"That leaves me with the North..." Urufu said while he and the others readied themselves for the night ahead, "MOVE OUT!"

* * *

**Hokage's Residence**

"How did this murderer enter the barrier without detection?"

"The barrier was never entered, Hokage-sama." Shunshin reported to the Sandaime while the old man held his one year old grandson, "The attacker may have entered as a traveler and bided their time."

"Then investigate the backgrounds of every visitor and non-citizen." Sarutobi ordered before setting little Konohamaru back into his crib, "I want every ANBU and shinobi on patrol to pair into groups of two or three where possible. This was not a random killing...the village is under attack."

"I agree..." Shunshin replied before he saw a crow fly by the window, "I must regroup with my squad...I recommend that you place any reserve squads and retired shinobi on high alert...the more eyes that we have in the shadows..."

"The less shadows that are enemy can hide in," Sarutobi finished, "Find this culprit...capture them if you can. Afterwards, you are to depart for your other assignment assuming that you aren't injured."

"I will obey rather I am injured or not-"

"Then consider this an order. A bleeding shinobi will be more harm than help to the village." Sarutobi sternly said to the ANBU before he continued in a more reassuring tone, "Shisui...your life is no less precious than any other shinobi or citizen of Konoha. Don't burden an old man by seeking out your death pointlessly."

"Of course...Hokage-sama." Shisui was honored by the Hokage's concern, but disagreed with his assertions about Shisui's life, "Anything else?"

"No...you are dismissed." Shunshin immediately shunshined from the office and appeared on the roof of a closed store. Awaiting him were a pair of Urufu's Ninken.

"You are Shunshin..." One of the dogs said while smelling Shunshin to confirm that he wasn't a doppelganger, "We're here to help you find the murderer...track any foreign scents."

"Then follow me."

**xxxxx**

"Shunshin's presence will not be necessary." Sarutobi heard his long-time compatriot state as he entered his office, "You should send him after the associates of the Snake before they relocate."

"Thank you Danzo, but the situation will soon be under control and Shisui will be on his way." Sarutobi warmly assured the unconvinced warhawk, "The ANBU in the Trading Posts was only the first discovered death. Shunshin reported finding three more ANBU throughout the North and West of the village who had been killed in a similar fashion to Sanshōuo."

"I know...the first was a member of Root."

"Yes...Aka..." Sarutobi said to himself, attempting not to fume about the activity of Root that flew in the face of his direct and official order to disband the organization, "This is a planned assault and so the village will require it's best agents to defend it."

"I understand Hokage-sama," Danzo agreed though Hiruzen knew his old friend better than to simply agree with another, "However there is a possibility that this assault was organized by Orochimaru."

"That has crossed my mind."

"We may catch the assailant tonight or even tomorrow, but anytime that we take to capture him will be all that the Snake will need to relocate or eliminate his compromised associates." Danzo explained while Sarutobi reluctantly agreed with his assessment, "That is why I would recommend sending Shunshin to his previous assignment as soon as possible. With Urufu, Karosin and Shishi on the case, they will be more than sufficient to capture or kill the assailant when he is found."

"I will respectfully decline your suggestion."

"Why?"

"One, if this assailant is targeting ANBU members then it means that they are highly skilled and must be dealt with as soon as possible for the safety of the village; Two, Shunshin is amongst our best ANBU and will be beneficial in solving this mystery quickly; Three, the enemy unknown is far more dangerous than the enemy known; and finally, there is nothing to suggest that this assailant is working alone nor that this will be the last attack."

"Very well..." Realizing that the Hokage would not bend on his word, Danzo bowed and prepared to leave, "What of the list of suspected shinobi and civilians-"

"I will use that resource only if necessary." Hiruzen affirmed while Danzo walked out of the room and the Hokage sat next to his sleepng grandson's crib, "Biwako dear...I pray to Kami that I am doing the right thing."

* * *

**South-Eastern Section of Konoha**

"Eight Trigrams! Two Palms!" Hinata shouted while slamming two palms into a stump of wood, "Four Palms! Eight Palms! Sixteen Palms-" On the last set of strikes, she knocked her uneven pinky finger against the wood and caused her to fall back in pain.

Inhaling while holding back tears, the Hyuga heiress attempted to apply a Hakke Strike to the finger with her other hand and only caused more pain, though the finger was relocated.

"There you are!" Hinata heard a familiar voice shout, "Hyuga Hinata! If you move another inch!"

"Kagome..." Hinata muttered while her guardian grabbed her wrist and began to pull her out of the training ground, "I am sorry..."

"Hinata...why do you always do this? Why do you always sneak out?" The Hyuga attendant asked, "You always have to sneak out for some reason...you needed to hit one more target...you forgot your ointment...or...you wanted to ask Sasuke for homework when you really want to see Naruto."

"You know?"

"After the fifth time, I catch onto things like that. I was a little girl you know." Kagome pointed out as she heard Hinata sniff, "Relax! Your father hasn't caught you yet and I won't blab this time. But if you want to go outside of the estate then tell someone about it."

"But father will assign Ko or you to watch me."

"That is true..." Kagome agreed, even though Hiashi and Hitomi were only looking out for their daughter's safety. Kagome figured that Hinata wanted to spend time with that Naruto kid, but Ko always forbade it and even she could only let Hinata freely walk so far without being tortured by the Caged Bird Seal upon her forehead once Hiashi found out about her "negligence", "Wanna make a deal?"

"Okay..." Hinata agreed while Kagome turned and placed her shoulders on the Hyuga Princess, "I am sorry..."

"Remember all that stuff that I said about Kirigakure and the Land of Snow?" Kagome asked as Hinata nodded, remembering Kagome's stories about her missions before she retired from the ANBU, "If you quit sneaking out of the Estate, then a little souvenir of mine will be yours."

"Souvenir?"

"Actually, I got a bunch of them." Kagome giggled while Hinata smiled, "I learned a lot of snow and water jutsu that I recorded on a small scroll and this arm brace with a pretty diamond in it. It'll all be yours."

"You mean it?" Hinata asked and hugged Kagome, "Thank you Kagome!"

"But...you have to promise not to run away." Kagome said while Hinata nodded in agreement, "What kind of big sister would you be to Hanabi?"

"A bad one..."

"That's right...now let's get you to bed." Kagome decided when Hinata walked away from her guard while music began to play, "Lady Hinata?"

"Do you hear that?" Hinata asked her guard while she listened to the graceful string music that played through the area, "Someone is playing a song."

"It is beautiful..." The guard complemented as Hinata felt her hand tense around her own, "But...who would be out at this time of night?"

"Perhaps it is a homeless man?" Hinata asked as the music reached a crescendo and stopped. Hinata's eyes widened and she shrieked when a body fell in front of her, "Kagome..."

"Don't look Lady Hinata!" Kagome grabbed the girl and held her against her chest as she looked upon the slashed corpse in front of them and the broken mask that lied next to it, "An Anbu? Is the village under attack?"

"I want to go home..." Hinata whimpered while the music started up again and reached a crescendo once more. In the silence, another body was thrown onto the intersection, "What is happening?"

"We're going home Lady Hinata!" Kagome shouted as she heard the music start up again. She focused chakra to her feet and shot into a dash while the music began to crescendo once more. Hinata gasped as she felt Kagome hit the ground and recoil in pain, her leg lied five feet behind them, "I'm sorry...my lady..."

"Kagome!" Hinata frantically got to her feet and attempted to help Kagome get out of the street as the music slashed through a nearby cart and a stray cat along with it, "Please! We have to run!"

"Save yourself my lady..." Kagome pleaded as she pushed Hinata onto the porch of a nearby home as the music began once more. Looking in the direction that music was emerging, the Hyuga guard stared upon the harbinger of her death without fear or regret as the music reached a climax.

Hinata could only watch as Kagome's head fell from her shoulders...

* * *

**Park within the Northern Section of Konoha**

"One step ahead aren't we?" Urufu asked himself as he stood amidst three mauled ANBU bodies, "It seems like grouping together is only making things easier when we don't know were to look..."

"Master..." One of Urufu's Ninken nudged it's owner's leg while the other began to bark in the direction of the South, "We sense something...the killer has struck again!"

"Where?"

"South West!"

"South-West? That's near the Hyuga Clan Estate..." Urufu figured, "Time to move! Double time!"

* * *

**Rooftop in the Eastern Section of Konoha**

"Evidently, the murderer never struck here..." Karosin noted while flanked by three other ANBU, "What exactly do we know about the attacker?"

"Nothing..." One of the ANBU answered, "The bastard's slippery and hasn't left a trace anywhere that he's been. It's like trying to find a viper in a field of tall grass."

"Except that you can burn the grass to lure out the viper." Karosin added when he heard a faint howl with his own dogs answering with howls of their own, "Apparently a fire has been started...move out!"

* * *

**Shushuya, Southern Konoha**

"I missed the assailant..." Shishi said to himself while checking the pulse of a lone fallen ANBU, "But...he got sloppy...this one is still alive..."

"Whose...whose...there..." The ANBU managed despite the heavy gash in her stomach and through her eyes as her broken mask denoted, "I can't see...my eyes..."

"Sorry...your eyes were cut."

"Damn..." The Agent cursed, "Are you one of us?"

"Shishi." Shishi answered and continued, "From Fire to Ash, from ash to dust, from dust to tree, from tree to leaf, from leaf to fire."

"Okay...now I know that you're one of us..." The ANBU muttered with relief despite her heavy pain, "My partner and I were returning when we received the intrusion signal."

"Who was your partner?"

"Ono...I think he's dead..." Sure enough Shishi spotted an ANBU lying facedown in a pool of their own blood within the street, "The assailant came out of nowhere...all we heard was music and then I couldn't see..."

"Music?"

"It was lovely...perhaps it was a pipa..."

"Thank you..." Shishi thanked the ANBU and turned to the barking Ninken nearby, "Sense anything?"

"The culprit struck again..." One of the dogs reported, "It was near...the assailant is in this area..."

"That's too close..." Shishi muttered to himself and motioned towards the fallen ANBU, "Take her to the hospital and tell the other Ninken to get over here as soon as possible."

"They're already on their way."

"Then get her to the hospital." Shishi ordered before he leapt from the rooftop and sped across the cityscape, praying that his worst fear would not come to pass.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Who is the mysterious ANBU slasher? Will Shishi, Karosin, Urufu and Shunshin find the culprit before innocent lives are lost?**

**I'm not trying too hard to hide the true identities of the above ANBU and outright revealed the last one. Besides, it doesn't seem like the identity of an ANBU isn't kept secret from normal shinobi or maybe it doesn't matter if you say that you're an ANBU, but you just can't reveal your codename.**

**Either way, I'll keep up the facade of hiding their true identities for now.**

**The next chapter will have the story's first true shinobi battle apart from the brawl from chapter three which had more punching than it did ninjutsu.**

* * *

******Translations**

**Sanshōuo **- Salamander

**Aka** - Red

**Shushuya** - Sake Sake Store

**Hakke** - Gentle Fist

**Kirigakure** - Village Hidden in the Mist


	6. King Chu Doffs His Armor I

**Satoshi's Apartment**

Ever increasing and ever continuing, that damn pipa just wouldn't stop playing.

"Naruto!" Sasuke yelled when Naruto's arm hit the Uchiha while he lied on his bed roll, "Quit it!"

"Sorry..." Naruto sheepishly apologized and then snarled from that pipa, "Why won't it shut up!"

"What won't shut up?"

"You don't hear it?" Naruto asked a confused Sasuke, "Somebody's playing a pipa or some string instrument and it's really annoying! It's kept me up all night!"

"Just use ear plugs then...

"I threw them out when they didn't work." Naruto muttered when he twitched like a fox that was splashed with water, "There it goes again!"

"Come on...you probably just need water." Sasuke said and pulled Naruto out of bed. The two boys made their way to the living room where Satoshi was sound asleep on the couch which was now using as a makeshift bed, "Guess he wasn't going to be out for long."

"Maybe, let's get that water..." Naruto decided while the boys snuck past the living room to the kitchen area and focused their chakra to walk up upon the kitchen counter and reach the cabinet with the cups inside, "When will our nii-san's start teaching us actual jutsu?"

"When we're older I guess..." Sasuke answered as he caught a cup while Naruto landed with one of his own, "Nii-san and father say that I'm too young right now."

"But Itachi and Satoshi were only a year older than us when they became genin and they didn't learn their jutsu from the academy."

"They're genius' though..."

"And I'm gonna be the next Hokage!"

"Keep it down..." Sasuke warned when Satoshi snored and turned on the couch, "Maybe they just want us to be kids...I don't know..."

"That's another thing bugs me..." Naruto admitted to his friend while they drained their water to half empty, "Satoshi always goes on about how he's an adult, but he's only eleven! How come he gets to be an adult and I have to be a kid?"

"Maybe he wasn't allowed to be a kid." Sasuke guessed and saw framed photo hanging on the wall, "Are those his parents?"

"Oh...I guess so..." Naruto answered upon looking at the picture that Sasuke pointed to. In it, two couples in ceremonial outfits posed together with wide smiles save for the fourth whose smile was gentler and more subdued, "Mine too..."

"The blond guy and that red haired woman?" Sasuke guessed, looking at the beautiful woman with long crimson hair who held both the blond with spiky hair and the brown skinned male with grey spiky hair in a double arm hold while the fourth woman with pale skin and black hair and closed eyes warmly held a newly born baby in her arms, "And that little guy was Satoshi..."

"He was soo cute..." Naruto said to himself with adoration that frightened Sasuke, "But that's alright, cause my baby's going to be way cuter!"

"Let it rest dobe..."

"No way teme!"

"HELP!" Both boys stopped and ran to the door when they heard a voice frantically cry for help, "SOMEBODY HELP ME! HELP!"

"That sounds like..." Naruto opened the front door and was immediately tackled to the ground by a fellow schoolmate, "Hinata?"

"Hinata?" Sasuke asked himself while he closed the door as Naruto got Hinata to her feet where something on her robes scared both of them, "Naruto..."

"Hinata...what happened?" Naruto asked in fright while he looked upon the blood that was splashed upon Hinata's robes, "Why were you screaming? What are you doing out here?"

"Hide...now." The boys heard Satoshi command while he knelt down to Hinata and placed two fingers on her neck, "Were you hurt Hinata?"

"No...but...Kagome..."

"You're safe here. Stay with Naruto and Sasuke alright?" Hinata softly nodded while Satoshi motioned the two boys to go with her, "Stay hidden until I come and get you, understood?"

"Alright...but what's going on-"

"Do as I say Naruto." Naruto paled even though Satoshi didn't raise his voice and immediately led Sasuke and Naruto out of the living room and to a hatch that led to the basement...

**xxx**

Once Naruto, Sasuke and Hinata had left Satoshi allowed the details that he had picked up from watching Hinata to soak in. She was breathing heavily and unevenly, which meant that she had ran through the village streets for several moments. If she came to his area then it meant that she was away from the Hyuga Compound and that meant that she had a guard.

A guard who she saw die.

Fortunately, the blood on Hinata's robes weren't hers nor was she injured. But she would likely require intensive psychological assistance and counseling after tonight. But for the moment, the more important detail was the figure who stood outside of his door. He had sensed him enter the house's vicinity as soon as Naruto was gone and knocked on the door.

The assailant had decided to be polite.

"How can I help you sir?" Satoshi politely asked with a smile as he opened the door.

"Apologies, but the village has been attacked." An ANBU said while he entered the home as Satoshi looked out the doorway, "The Hokage believes that an infiltrator may be attacking patrolling shinobi."

"Really? That's terrible," Satoshi said as he noted the absence of an ANBU tattoo on either of the ANBU's shoulder, "I'd like to help however I can."

"Thank you for your cooperation." The ANBU replied while Satoshi walked over and picked up one of the glasses of water, "I am looking for a little girl with black-blue hair and pale eyes. She may have seen the attacker."

"You'd be better off going to the Hyuga Compound," Satoshi replied while his thoughts began to churn, _"This must be the one who Hinata is hiding from. Makes sense, his attempt at mimicking ANBU behavior and protocol is laughable."_

"Thirsty tonight?" The ANBU asked while pointing out the other three glasses of water on the counter, "Or are the others are for younger siblings?"

"Yes, sometimes they have nightmares." _"Implication of threat against children...possible suspicion of harboring Hinata..."_ "Fortunately, we managed to solve the bed-wetting issue a few months ago."

"All three of them?"

"The youngest could devour a bull if you gave one to him." Satoshi laughed, _"The assailant may already know that Hinata is near...maybe he saw or heard her enter the house..."_

"And what is this?" The ANBU asked while he picked up a meal cloth with the pattern of two ram horns upon it, "This is the emblem of the Kuromuton Clan. How did you get one of their handkerchiefs?"

"That old thing? It was a gift from my great-great-grandmother to my grandmother," Satoshi answered as he walked to the ANBU's side and received the cloth from the ANBU's hand, "The cloth was made from the wool of one of the finest flocks that the Kuromuton ever had...cloth made from those sheep are valued highly..."

"How high?"

"How high is the sky?" Satoshi asked with a chuckle, "By the way...what is your name?"

_"That_ is classified."

_"Except that every ANBU agent is required to state their codename upon meeting any known Konoha shinobi unannounced."_ "That is true, you are not called the covert ops of the village for coolness' sake."

"You would know more than me, Kuromuton." Satoshi's smile immediately faded as soon as the stranger spoke his surname. _"He didn't just come here for Hinata..."_ Satoshi's iris turned from brown to golden when he saw the assailant draw his tanto and slash towards Satoshi.

_"First, employ defensive distraction."_ Satoshi threw the cloth at the ANBU's face and used the opportunity to divert the attacker's slash from his neck, _"Cross to left humerus and hook to right mid-ribcage."_ Satoshi's right fist impacted into the ANBU's surprisingly hard left upper arm while the other impacted into the ANBU's body and threw him against the counter where he quickly recovered.

_"Must force relocation to prevent possible injury to children."_ Satoshi figured as he swerved to avoid the assailant's slash and rolled under the living room table. He grabbed a hidden jian before he emerged on the other side and drew the sword in time to slash through the metal of the assailant's likely stolen sword, _"Kick to right femur..."_ Satoshi kicked out with his left leg and was blocked by the assailant's raised knee.

_"This seems...too easy..."_ Satoshi thought to himself before he braced on the attacker's knee and kicked him towards the door. Satoshi winced as the door broke while the assailant stood up in the doorway, _"Far too easy..."_

**"Katon: Yuubi Tonbo" **Satoshi finished the last series of handsigns and exhaled to blow a large gust of gas faintly resembling a dragonfly in the direction of the ANBU. The Dragonfly rushed into the ANBU and pushed him outside into the street before it ignited into a flaming insect that set the false ANBU on fire, "No real ANBU would've been defeated by a C-rank Jutsu..."

"Satoshi?"

"Stay hidden." Satoshi warned Naruto while he walked outside to investigate his aflamed kill, "I would ask who you were working for...but you are dead."

"Or so it appears to your eyes." Satoshi dropped into an open-palm combat stance as he watched the assailant stand while the ANBU mask fell from his face, "Beware your eyes...what you see can deceive...Beware your ears, for the perception of sound fades with usage and time...Beware the tongues of men...for we lie more often than when we speak."

"So a poet hired you?" The figure fell into a heap as the fire went out to reveal a pile of scorched wood that was formerly a figure that Satoshi never thought he would see in the Land of Fire, "A puppet?"

"Satoshi-"

"NARUTO! GET INSIDE NOW!" Satoshi roared at Naruto who was looking out of the doorway of his apartment. Trusting Naruto to do the intelligent thing, Satoshi turned his attention back to the scorched puppet that also bore the distinct smell of burnt flesh. _"Worst...whoever did this took a freshly killed corpse, skinned it's muscle and skin and melded it around a puppet...but why?"_

His bones shook as he heard a pipa play nearby.

_"Satoshi...you were played like a fool..."_ Satoshi turned to the direction of the music and saw a single individual walking towards him. The young woman wore black traditional robes with a white formal undershirt and had long hair that went down to her shoulders. In her arms was a pipa that she played with masterful grace and speed while she continued to approach, _"Who the hell comes out at night and plays on a pipa for no reason?"_

Of course, this woman had a reason.

While Satoshi watched, he suddenly felt an intense surge of killing intent flow past him and with it an image of his head falling from his shoulders. Acting on instinct, he swerved his head to the left and felt a very small sharp inseeable dagger glance the side of his neck. The musician continued playing as Satoshi felt blood seep down his neck and he shivered from the fear of death.

"But...how?" Satoshi thought as he felt another surge of killing intent and saw himself bisected from the top of his head and down through his nether regions, "**Futon: Uzamaki Shīrudo!"** A gust of wind swirled in solid concentrated in front of Satoshi and was destroyed by the same unseen attack from before. The forcewave of the impact threw Satoshi onto his back while the music continued...

* * *

**Konoha South-East Central Hub**

Shishi momentarily stopped in place and removed his mask to cough onto the tiles of the rooftops.

"Damn it..." He said to himself before he put his mask back on and increased his pace, "Better hurry!"

* * *

**Konoha Residential District 17**

"Satoshi!"

"Naruto...if I have to tell you go back inside one more time!" Satoshi shouted in spite of the heavy slash that ran down both of his arms as a result of attempting to block the blades of sound that the musician was playing, "The adults are talking right now..."

"Do as he says!" Sasuke yelled and pulled Naruto back into the house, "Sorry Satoshi-san!"

"Just stay safe..." Satoshi managed before he leapt to the right to avoid an attack and felt his side get cut open by a smaller attack that sent him onto the ground, "Damn...not like this..."

The musician didn't care.

She momentarily softened the tone of her music before she stopped and rapidly played several notes. Satoshi felt time slow to a halt as he felt the musician's killing intent and could see the painful and graphic death that awaited him. Without seeing, he saw the blades that flew towards him...without hearing...he heard them cut through the air and the dirt and without speaking...he screamed...

**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!**

**Futon: Kazeken!**

**Raiton: Kaminari Dasshu! **Three bursts of elemental power, one wind, one fire and the other lightning converged in front of Satoshi and shot through the attack and impacted against the musician. A frantic set of notes were played at their highest volume and created a visible field of displaced air that forced the musician onto the ground and threw back the three ANBU that were thrown in front of Satoshi.

"Odd...that combo always works..."

"There's a first time for everything..."

"This is true Shishi..." The ANBU with a crow-mask stated before turning to Satoshi, "Are you alright?"

"I've had worst," Satoshi assured the ANBU, "Are you real ANBU or more fakes?"

"I am Karosin and as you know, this is Shishi." Karosin replied to the battered Satoshi before addressing Shishi, "How many times do I have to warn you about using the Shinri Kage Bunshin?"

"So watching over your brother doesn't count as necessary cause?"

"But now your ability to fight this assailant is lessened." Karosin said to his partner, "If you dispel it then his sufficient injuries and fatigue will carry over to you, but if you don't then that will be a sizable portion of your chakra that you won't be able to use."

"No need for arguing now." Urufu lightly rebuked the younger ANBU and then turned to Satoshi, "Hey! I'm Urufu of the ANBU! What do you know about that guy?"

"He attacks you through his music!" Satoshi warned the three ANBU as the musician began to restart his song, "The sound of the pipa generates a fine chakra whip that he controls by playing it!"

"Thanks! Get to safety! We'll take it from here!" Shishi told the off-duty Chunin who dashed into his apartment while Shishi used his Kazeken-infused sword to deflect the unseen attack that was sent his way, "You won't claim anymore victims!"

"I believe that our assailant is blind." Karosin told his comrades while they went on guard from the intensifying music, "I saw him when he picked up the pipa. It was right in front of him and yet it took five seconds for him to grab it while he examined the ground."

"Makes sense..." Shishi agreed and all three scattered to avoid the sound blade that sought to kill them. After landing, Shishi began to remember something, "Wait...beware your eyes, beware your ears and beware your tongue...the assailant is deaf!"

"Lovely! How come I don't feel more optimistic?" Urufu asked before he was slashed in half and the two halves formed into stable condensed forms of electric energy. The music intensified when a porch was slashed through and Urufu leapt out from the ground, "Okay...how does this help us?"

"Shishi! Take point! Urufu! Support him! I'll stay back and try to find a weakness." Karosin ran through a series of handsigns before he was cut into multiple pieces by the assailant's unseen assault.

"Advice captain?"

"Don't stand in one place at once and don't die." Urufu stated as Karosin's corpse fell apart into multiple crows that flew towards the assailant before they were cut down in a single stroke, "I think I have an idea..."

"I'll cover you!" Shishi stated as he saw a jian fly towards him from his left and he caught it in his left hand while running through a series of handsigns, "**Futon: Muchiuchi Gesuto!"**

**"****Katon: Hōsenka Tsumabeni!"** A series of aflamed kunai rained upon the musician at the same time that Shishi slashed both blades forward and produced a focused pair of air pockets which flew towards the musician and increased the intensity of the aforementioned fire jutsu. As if detecting her peril, the musician increased the pace of his song and spun in place, deflected the kunai and the air blades into the buildings adjacent to her.

Blocking a retaliatory attack, Shishi now noticed Urufu's absence and a patch of discolored earth where he was formerly standing. He side-stepped an attack that cut into the ground and spun to deflect another set of attacks acting purely on the assailant's own killer intent and his own instinct to keep from dying.

**xxx**

From the window of his room, Naruto and Sasuke watched the battle with amazement and fear. The lion-masked ANBU now stepped into a high-energy dance with his sword and the sword that Satoshi had given him. Most of the time, it looked like he was deflecting something and the rest of the time he was avoiding an attack that could not be seen. The entire scene and the music of the pipa made the entire night seem surreal to the two boys.

**"Katon: Komodo Honoo!"**

"Cool..." Naruto said when he saw the lion-masked ANBU produce a large fiery form that resembled a lizard skull that flew towards the assailant while the ANBU created another blade of wind to empower and quicken it, "Do you see this Sasuke?"

"Yeah..." Sasuke muttered with more concern than excitement, "I wish nii-san or father were here..."

"It'll be over by the time they get here!"

"I hope so..."

"Why aren't you hiding?" The boys heard a frantic Hinata ask while she sat with her knees pressed against her chest, "He will kill us! We need to run or he will kill us like she killed Kagome!"

"Hinata...calm down..." Naruto said to soothe the girl and placed his hands on her shoulders, "We're going to be fine, nothing's going to happen to us-"

"Naruto...you're not helping..." Sasuke muttered as the girl began to cry into Naruto's shoulder, "She did watch someone die in front of her..."

"Oh...I'm sorry..."

"It...it...wasn't your fault..." Hinata managed while she wept, "It was that banshee...that man-"

"Man? The musician is a woman-"

"No! I saw him! He was a man!" Hinata pleaded while Naruto realized something that made him pause in place, "Naruto-kun?"

"Hey...Hinata...you've got that byakugan thing right?" Naruto asked while Hinata nodded, "Look...I know that you're scared, but I need you to look in the musician's direction and tell us what you see."

"Are you crazy Naruto?"

"She doesn't have to look directly at him! Just in his direction!" Naruto clarified to Sasuke before Hinata slowly rose to her feet, "Please? I want to help the ANBU and you can help us if I'm right."

"Okay..." Hinata agreed and turned towards the outside of the apartment with veins bulging along her eye line, "Please give me a moment..."

"Take your time..." Naruto assured her and gulped when the window was cut and sent glass flying to the ground, "Reasonably..."

**xxxx**

"Urufu...anytime would be great..." Shishi said to himself as he felt a piece of his black jian get chipped off by the sound slashes of the musician's song. He now found himself using both instinct and the song's own rhythem to predict which notes would produce a deadly attempt on his life. He couldn't use either by itself since his reflexes could be tricked by the quieter notes and that went double for the unpredictable rhythem of this song.

The pace of the song now prevented him from using any jutsu without a distraction and locked him a dance with his blades where his defenses were being chipped away and stopping would be a surefire way to die.

**"Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!" **Shishi was relieved when the musician's assault was diverted to ward off a volley of smaller bursts of flame while Shishi ran through several handsigns to add to his partner's continued counter attack.

**"Katon: ****Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"**

******"Futon Kazekiri!"** Shishi unleashed his burst of deathly sharp wind in time to join it to the fireball that was fired towards the musician by the now present Karosin. The two attacks joined and caused the musician to pause his song. She played a series of high notes that resulted in a barrier of displaced air that dispelled the attack and then played another set of notes that would fire more attacks in the direction of her foes except for two problems.

One, her leg had been pulled into the ground.

Two, a lightning charged fist was embedded through her chest.

**"Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu"** Urufu pulled the woman further into the ground and pulled out his arm, causing the pipa to drop to the ground in the process, "Sorry I was late."

"You late...big surprise..."

"I got here to save you didn't I?"

"Karosin was here, that doesn't count." Shishi muttered while grabbing his right shoulder and grunting, "Damn it...that little dance will make my doctor's appointment longer...won't it?"

"Your own fault...the Shinri Kage Bunshin No Jutsu was forbidden by your clan for a reason." Karosin pointed out while the two of them approached Urufu who looked upon the woman whose head stuck out of the ground, "Couldn't you have at least attempted to keep her alive?"

"That's the problem..." Urufu noted while holding out his arm, "It's too clean."

"Another puppet?" Shishi asked as they felt killing intent from the woman puppet and heard the pipa of death play once more...

* * *

**Authors Notes:**

**A puppet? If the actual murderer is nothing more than a puppet then who is the real assailant behind this attack on Konoha? Will Naruto and the others be able to find out the mystery behind the attacker before Shishi and the other ANBU are taken by the song of death?**

**Stay tuned to find out.**

**Here is our first official battle of Kindachi No Kamigami and before you say anything, yes it has a Kung Fu Hustle reference in it. As I loved Kung Fu Hustle, this won't be the last reference but I'll try to keep them natural and not have them forced in just for author appeal.**

* * *

**Translations:**

**Shinri Kage Bunshin No Jutsu -** True Shadow Clone Technique

**Futon: Muchiuchi Gesuto** - Wind Release: Whiplash Gust

**Futon: Uzamaki Shīrudo** - Wind Release: Swirling Shield

**Futon: Kazeken** - Wind Sword

**Katon: Komodo Honoo** - Fire Release: Komodo Blaze

**Katon: Yuubi Tonbo** - Fire Release: Delicate Dragonfly

**Katon: Hōsenka Tsumabeni** - Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson

**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu** - Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique

**Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu** - Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique

**Futon: Kazekiri** - Wind Release: Wind Cutter

**Raiton: Kaminari Dasshu -** Lighting Release: Thunder Dash

**Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu** - Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique


	7. King Chu Doffs His Armor II

**Satoshi's Apartment**

"Shit...she's still alive?" Satoshi heavily breathed while watching the skirmish between the musician and the three ANBU. His own injuries were much better than they actually looked, but he couldn't risk interfering with this battle, "Regeneration Technique? I'll have to switch to know for sure-"

"Satoshi!"

"Naruto...if I to tell you one more time-"

"It's important this time!" Naruto said while pulling Hinata with him and Sasuke following, "Tell him Hinata! This can help us!"

"Alright..." Hinata muttered, "You see...I used my Byukugan and saw something..."

"What did you see Hinata-"

"And be quick with it." Satoshi felt his blood chill when he realized that there was another shinobi in his room. He turned and spotted the sharingan gleam of Shisui Uchiha, "Lives are at stake child."

"Shisui..." Satoshi growled, "Nice of you to grace us-"

"Keep your focus on the enemy, Binjiketa."

"Who says I'm not?" Satoshi smirked and cracked his neck, "Shouldn't you be outside helping the others?"

"Shouldn't you?"

"Satoshi-san was asking us what we found...Shisui-sama..." Hinata respectfully replied to Naruto's confusion and Satoshi's silence, "You see...Naruto-kun wanted me to use my Byakugan on the musician..."

"Did you find something?"

"Hai...there are thin chakra strands throughout the entire area..." Hinata reported to Satoshi's shock, "All of them tie to that musician..."

"A puppet?" Shisui remarked, "Satoshi...you're coming with me. If the musician is a puppet, then we need to find the puppet-master."

"Me and Hinata can go too!" Naruto shouted, but was slapped on the head by Sasuke, "What was that for Teme!"

"Dobe...you're just kids...we'd get in the way." Sasuke pointed out and frowned from Hinata's glance, "I'm just telling the truth...leave it to the adults..."

"Enjoy being kids! This won't be exciting anyway." Satoshi assured a disappointed Naruto, "Stay hidden until someone comes back...alright?"

"Just don't die...okay?"

"Got it." Satoshi agreed before Shisui grabbed his shoulder and both of them vanished out of the apartment.

"Nii-san!" Sasuke called out when Itachi appeared in the apartment and caught his brother in an embrace, "I knew you'd come!"

"Sorry that I'm late, I'll protect all of you with my life."

"Don't bother, Satoshi will have this done in no time flat!" Naruto declared before sitting down, "Thanks for dropping by though, but I think they need you out there anyway!"

"Naruto-kun..."

* * *

**Konoha Residential District 17**

"Shisui and Satoshi are tracking the puppet's user."

"A puppet?" Urufu asked while the three ANBU huddled under the stone dome create from Urufu's Futon: Ishi Domu, "That explains the clean kill."

"Its only a kill when they stop moving."

"Touche." Urufu replied humored despite the cracks that were appearing on the inside of the dome, "We need to neutralize those strings...that must be how the real assailant is transferring those Chakra-enhanced sound waves towards us."

"Now that you've already attacked it from underneath, she'll expect an attack from there."

"Right now...we're just buying time for Shisui and Satoshi." Urufu admitted with a shrug, "The only thing we can really do is make sure that collatoral damage stays at a minimum and keep the musician occupied."

"The dome is collapsing." Karosin pointed out while the three ANBU motioned to one another and ran through a series of handsigns just as the music of the puppet assassin began to crescendo.

"**Doton: Moguragakure no Jutsu!"**

The sound waves of the puppet assailant's son slashed through the dome and threw heavy debris of rock across the street. The music continued even as civilians exited their homes to see what was happening. The puppet's pipa picked up momentum to silence the numerous new witnesses just as it unleashed a furious assault upon the now present Shishi. The ANBU was slashed into multiple pieces before the illusion cleared to reveal a sliced up chair.

"**Futon: Muchiuchi Gesuto!" **The real Shishi stood atop of a nearby roof as a whirling whip of wind lashed towards the assailant.

**"Doton: Bokkusu"**

Before the assailant could ready their song, the earth around it rose up and covered the assailant within a box of hardened rock. The assailant's song freed them from the rocky trap in time to ward off the ANBU's wind jutsu.

"**Katon: Nenshō Kita!" **Blazing from the south, a furious torrent of fire surrounded the assailant and combined with the wind energy of Karosin's comrade and trapped the assailant within a spiraling vortex of fire and wind...

**xxxxx**

"Just hang on for a little longer...we're almost there." Satoshi said to himself as he and Shisui landed in front of a closed pet store. Satoshi peered into an open doorway as Shisui activated his sharingan, "The strings all lead into this building, there's an A-rank chakra signature within."

"Switch to your shinrigan...or can a Shinri Clone do both?"

"Not in my condition...not while Shishi is already drained...both of us would die."

"Curious...despite your byakugan's lack of range, having you use both kekkei genkai would make this appointment more convenient."

"I'm here to stop a murderer, not cater to your convenience."

"Do speak louder...you shinobi are so noisy." An inviting voice said from within as Shisui and Satoshi readied their weapons and entered. The room was filled with rusted shelves and a counter with a dried bloodstain, "Make yourselves at home! I'll be out shortly."

"No need, we'll help ourselves!" Satoshi shouted as he slammed his palm into the wooden wall and watched it shatter and fall into several parts, revealing a hidden room where a thin bearded man sat on a high chair playing the pipa, "Hi."

"I appreciate the offer of hospitality, but the three of us should be leaving soon." Shisui politely said while the man continued to play his pipa, "In the name of the Third Hokage of Konoha, you are under arrest for assault and the murder of multiple ANBU shinobi. Come peacefully and your penance will be likewise. Resist and we will use deadly force to apprehend you...whether you're brought in alive or dead depends entirely on our disgression at this point."

"Do you enjoy the song?" The man asked as Shisui read Satoshi's expression and shunshined both of them behind the counter to avoid the wave of unseen chakra that cut through the building, "It's all so crude...so disharmonous...destructive...the songstress was so much more harmonious."

"She sounds like a nice woman." Satoshi muttered while hearing Shisui count to himself, "There's only one of him...unless you're counting something important..."

"I think I see why he uses the puppet for his attacks." Shisui said to an attentive Satoshi, "Did you detect the amount of chakra within the pipa? He likely uses a minimal amount of his own chakra as a catalyst for controlling the chakra within the pipa. Then he had used the pipa's chakra strings to transport signals and commands to his puppet which carries a replica of the pipa..."

"All while he stays here and tries to imitate his songstress..."

"Five seconds." Shisui said to Satoshi, "That's how long it takes for chakra to build up between each movement. I need you to keep him occupied for one movement before I can finish him."

"Why not just do it now-" Satoshi was cut off when both shinobi ducked under a wave of chakra that cut apart the wall behind them and demolished the counter. He also remembered that the musician's music was effective as both an attack and a defense, "How long is a movement?"

"It varies between songs."

"That helps."

"Twenty to Forty Seconds...give or take." Shisui guessed as Satoshi fell into a runner's position, "Are you really planning to attack it head-on?"

"You wanted a diversion, didn't you?"

"Not one that would have you throw your life away pointlessly."

"When did you become so concerned for the life of a Kuromuton?" Grumbling to himself, Satoshi caught his emotions before they risked ruining the mission. His mouth closed, but his mind spoke while the music continued, _"Focus Satoshi. Focus your emotion towards your intuition."_

_"First, employ diversionary feint."_ Shisui intuitively deduced as Satoshi leapt over the ruined furniture and threw a kunai at the musician. As the tagged kunai hit the floor in front of him, the musician's song ripped through the young boy's body, _"Discombobulate enemy."_ As the clone vanished from sight, the real Satoshi threw a shuriken at the tagged kunai, setting off the delayed tag and unleashing a deadly explosion.

_"Throw off reflexive momentum..."_ **Katon: Yuubi Tonbo!"** Satoshi exhaled to blow a large dragonfly of gas at the assailant. The musician's movement rose to the challenge and cut down the dragonfly though some of the gas managed to reach him and ignited, _"Use surroundings against him."_ **Futon: Uzamaki Shīrudo!" **A concentrated gust of wind swirled towards the musician, fueling the flames to leap onto his arms, disrupting his song entirely while the man put out the flames before they spread to his instrument.

_"Use decreased awareness of environment to advantage."_ Shisui vanished from his place behind the debris and appeared next to the startled musician. Before the man could run his fingers across the strings of the pipa, Shisui had already stabbed multiple kunai into the man's arms to render them unmovable. In addition, the Uchiha's sharingan had made eye-contact with the assailant, _"Neutralize and capture target."_

"Why did you step in so soon?" "Thankfully you did...or I wouldn't have made it much longer."

"Your tango was amusing, but I do need to sleep."

"Sleep...just as the mistress sleeps..." The musician said as if in a heavy daze, "Sleep peacefully as a flock of sheep...lie down and dream, no need leap...come with me and join the heap..."

"Shisui..." Satoshi's eyes widened when numerous seals appeared on the inside of the house, "GET US OUT OF HERE NOW!"

"Can't...he's disrupting my chakra..." Shisui replied, his hands covered with a different kanji, "He must have marked me while...you knew about me?"

"Shunshin Shisui of the Guardians of Fire?" The musician replied as the seals began to glow brighter, "The Good Boy sends his regards."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Outside, a large explosion flew out from within the pet store and enveloped it in a bolero of fire and wind. Then as quickly as it appeared, it died out leaving only burnt piles of wood sprinkled by ash and dust.

"Another candidate wasted..." An unseen observer said while walking past the debris, "This is the last time that I let the Snake-"

"Give me your hand." The observer slipped out of view and watched a Konoha shinobi rise out of the debris and pull a battered younger comrade out with him, "How are you?"

"Should I give you details or..."

"Don't bother..." The Uchiha hauled the boy onto his shoulders, pulled out a burnt corpse and vanished in a swirl of leaves.

"One candidate wasted and yet another seen." The observer said when he returned to the shadows of Konoha, "The closed door leads to the path unseen..."

* * *

**Konoha Retirement Center**

"Thank you Haruto, but I am quite content."

"The young hokage insisted." An old man said to the older elder whom he guided to her garden, "The village is being attacked by an unknown assailant and he believes that the assailant may attack you."

"I am certain that this assailant will be dealt with before the sun rises." The woman confidently assured her companion when they came to her private small garden of Bara flowers that had yet to bloom, "The inheritors of the future beyond our sight will see to it."

"I thought you'd say that...Toshiko-sensei..." Haruto muttered with humor, "Nothing ever lessens your spirits..."

"Your spirit is still as strong as when you were a child, Haruto. You're not quite as old and useless as I am." Toshiko said with a laugh as Haruto shook his head in disbelief. This woman was a hundred and two years old and still possessed the thunderous laughter that she held when he was a boy, "After all, why else would you await your grandson after so many years?"

"No where near as long as his father..." Haruto scoffed, recalling a message from one of his son's toad summons, "They say that my grandson will never return...but either way, I will see him again...some day..."

"Till then, perhaps you should look upon the current harvest?" Toshiko asked while watering the stems of her two dozen flowers, "Too many of us older folk are stuck in the past...if they would only let go of their illusions of control and focus upon the blossoming young..."

"Illusions? Some illusions are stronger than others..." Haruto said with sadness, "The illusion of control is the strongest of these..."

"With good reason, no one wants to admit that they have no control over their lives..."

"Or that they have less control than they would like."

"Everyone is odd in that way when they are young."

"Don't I know..." Haruto laughed, "If I only I had known that lesson with my son. Then again, if things had not happened the way that they had, I never would have met my grandson."

"Or maybe you would have at a later time?" Toshiko offered while Haruto shook his head, "We both know that dwelling upon what has past is pointless. It is best to look towards tomorrow and live within today rather than waste the present."

* * *

**Satoshi's Apartment**

"Please tell me that someone's still alive..." A panting Urufu inquired while Karosin stood behind holding up a heavily panting Shishi. The Anbu was relieved when Itachi opened the door, "Chunin Uchiha Itachi...how are the kids?"

"Everyone is well though...some of us are anxious..."

"Where's Satoshi!" Naruto shouted from behind the Uchiha while Sasuke was trying to keep him inside, "Let go Teme!"

"Do you know where to look?"

"Satoshi and Shisui took out the musician, so they should be alright." Shishi answered the furious boy, "If he hasn't come back home, he's probably been taken to the hospital."

"See? Satoshi-san...Naruto-kun..." Hinata assured Naruto who just stared at the floor with a tear forming in his eyes, "You can go see him in the morning...right?"

"Yeah..." Naruto half-heartedly replied when another figure appeared in the neighborhood, "Now help shows up."

"Where is Hinata?" Hiashi Hyuga inquired with a hardened face, followed closely by a little Hyuga boy that seemed to be his son. The boy waved to Hinata, who ran past Naruto and jumped into the boy's arms, "Good...you are safe."

"We were worried for you Lady Hinata..." The boy said to the weeping girl, "Lord Hiashi was ready to burn the Land asunder to find you-"

"Neji-"

"Sorry Hiashi-sama..." The boy apologized and caught Naruto's apathetic gaze, "Were you the one who helped Hinata? Aren't you Uzamaki Naruto?"

"Why do you care?"

"Don't be rude!" Sasuke admonished the uncaring Naruto, "That's the Lord of the Hyuga Clan you know! Show some respect."

"Satoshi's influence no doubt..." Hiashi commented, his face softening somewhat when he looked upon Hinata, "You ran here Hinata?"

"Yes..."

"Are you hurt?"

"No..."

"Then all is well." Hiashi turned back to Naruto and bowed his head to Naruto's slight surprise, "Thank you once again, Uzamaki Naruto."

"Thank Satoshi, he's the one whose in the hospital."

"Perhaps I will," Hiashi said to a neutral Naruto while he hauled Hinata into his arms and addressed the ANBU, "Thank you as well."

"We were just doing our job, Hiashi-sama." Shishi replied before he nearly fell over and had to be caught by Karosin, "I'm sorry to cut this short...but I'd rather not bleed to death."

"Understood."

"Come Binjiketa..." Karosin playfully remarked to his injured comrade before both vanished in a flurry of leaves leaving Urufu behind.

"Those kids drive themselves too hard..." Urufu muttered while surveying the damage in the district and seeing several civilians exit their homes, "Time for crowd control...you'd best turn in for the night."

"What of the assailant?"

"The puppet will be turned into the Research and Investigation Department to be analyzed." Itachi answered Hiashi while the group looked upon the lifeless puppet that Urufu's Ninken sniffed and grabbed, "It's all that we have to determine whose behind the attack."

"What about Satoshi..."

"We'll go see him in the morning, you have my word." Itachi could see that Naruto wasn't convinced, but the boy resigned himself and went back inside alongside Sasuke, "I wonder what Shisui found..."

* * *

**Hokage's Office**

"Shisui?"

"The assailant has been dealt with Sandaime-san."

"Anymore losses?"

"A few wounded, but no other deaths during the battle." Shisui stated while bowed with the Hokage looking towards the coming dawn, "The wounded have been admitted to the hospital while the assailant's corpse and puppet were taken to the Investigation and Research Center."

"You had no choice but to kill him..." Sarutobi wearily exhaled but turned to Shisui with an assuring smile, "Things would have been easier if we could have captured the attacker alive. Then we could have discovered if he was alone or collaborating with another."

"He wasn't working alone that is for certain." Shisui replied, "From our initial information, we can surmise that the puppet was a human corpse that had been previously manipulated to increase it's dexterity and control. Allowing the assailant to use his chakra strings to control the puppet's every move from a long distance."

"How did you find the assailant?"

"The Hyuga Heiress was taking shelter in Satoshi's apartment and saw the strings within the area." Sarutobi nodded as the Uchiha continued, "Afterwards, myself and Satoshi tracked the strings to their source and neutralized the assailant. However...the assailant had prepared a suicide seal which we could not dispel in time..."

"Understood...what matters is that the village is safe."

"However, we did determine a reliable clue based on the method of the assailant's assassination." Shisui brought up and unfurled a scroll from his belt, "I was unable to prevent the seal from killing it's assailant, but I was able to acquire the chakra which the seal was using for storage and research."

"That seal..." Sarutobi's features turned grave as he fully recognized the outline of a white snake upon the scroll's contents, "The Snake..."

* * *

**Unknown Location outside of Konoha**

"Was the necessity for a diversion that dire or were you simply bored Snake?"

"More of the latter honestly," The pale figure in the robes of Akatsuki said to his partner, "I wanted to see how well Reigan's "candidate" would have faired against Konoha's Brightest. He...spectacularly failed to kill his targets, but his theatrics were entertaining."

"Her song must have been beautiful..." Sasori of the Red Sand lamented as he tuned the mechanics of his signature puppet, "A song that carries upon the wind and echoes through the ears of mortals in life or death. What echoes beyond this world...echoes for eternity."

"Perhaps if he had used more than one puppet, she would have survived."

"His survival does not matter, her song was his life. The last disciple of the Mute Songstress..." The Snake mused with respect mixed with cynicism, "But even the threads of music and song...the blade of Gu Qin was no match for the combined prowess of Konoha's three great kekkei genkai."

"Wielded by three noteworthy ANBU..." Sasori added, "I can't imagine the hell that it must've been to acquire the identities for four of the most lethal ANBU in Konoha's forces."

"It was not difficult at all to be honest." Orochimaru admitted, his forked tongue licked his lips as he thought about one particular ANBU whose power and body he desired, "With the right ANBU...I can be very...persuasive..."

"Poor girl..." Sasori exhaled in disinterest recalling how annoying it was to sleep through the screams and moans of his partner's latest "toy", "Just kill her quietly please...the last one made too much noise."

"Tsuyoki? Oh yes..."

"The Hyuga Byakugan...Uchiha Sharingan and the Kuromuton Shinrigan..." Sasori read off before he was forced to recall walking in on Orochimaru "enjoying" his previous pet during torture, "Any one of these by themselves would be formidable. But having to face three at once?"

"Yet the assailant did as well as expected. He killed fifteen people...most of them ANBU." Orochimaru pointed out, "Which means that Sarutobi will place the village on high alert, recall most squads and ANBU back to the village-"

"And grant your subordinates more room to relocate from their compromised positions?" Sasori finished, "Either way, the assailant's efforts benefited your own ends."

"Akatsuki will benefit soon as well."

"If you speak in regards to the Kyubi...we won't be able to seal it until we acquire the other bijuu-"

"I know, but think of it as a long term investment." Orochimaru assured his partner, "In the event of the assailant's death or capture, I left a single item in his pipa. One that he would neither feel nor detect, but anyone with eyes could see it."

"What would that be?"

"The Uchiha Crest." Orochimaru answered while Sasori entered his puppet and activated it, "Dull to you, isn't it?"

"How will a symbol implicate the Uchiha in hiring an assassin?"

"Not implication...suspicion and from suspicion will arise distrust...fear...anger...hatred and finally..." Orochimaru softly laughed to himself before he finished, "Suffering."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Hope you enjoyed the fight...**

**I was purposefully vague on who the mysterious observer was and for that reason, it should be easy to guess who it is. Good for you, you've earned some delicious cake!**

**The old man and woman are characters who will play an enlightening role in the lives of our characters...though you'll have to see how when they next show up.**

**Till next time!**

* * *

**Translations**

******Futon: Muchiuchi Kyōfū** - Whipping Gale

**Katon: Nenshō Kita** - Fire Release: Burning North

**Doton: Bokkusu** - Earth Release: Box

**Doton: Ishi Domu **- Earth Release: Stone Dome

**Doton: Moguragakure no Jutsu** - Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique

**Tsuyoki** - Bull

**Hachi Juu Kureijī** - Crazy Eight


End file.
